Moon Lake
by Yachiru-Chan2008
Summary: When Ichigo and Isshin chase after Aizen, they come across a welcome but unexpected friend. Who is this mysterious woman, and what exactly is her power that ensures their survival, and their side winning the war? T for language and violence
1. Prologue

**Well, after finishing the last Naruto Fanfic I wrote, I decided to write a Bleach one xD So here it is! Hope you guys don't hate it. I wrote it for my own entertainment, so it might be a little rushed and the grammar may not be perfect. If you see any mistakes, let me know in a message or review and I'll correct it immediatly. Anyways, I really enjoyed writing this story. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as well! =) Also, any tips on making my writing better would be much appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, nor anything about Bleach except this story and the very few OCs in it. **

**Here's some information about the main character:**

**Name: Miyuki Maruyama**

**Gender: Female**

**Birthday: December 12th**

**Age: 127**

**Height: 170 cm (5'6")**

**Weight: 42 kg (93 lbs)**

**Eyes: Dark blue**

**Hair: Dark purple**

**Hope you like the story, and please review!**

* * *

A woman with dark purple hair that reached just past her shoulderblades stood in a large garden. Her deep blue eyes were staring coldly at the men before her. She observed them carefully, taking in every feature. "My, my. Haven't you become a frightening little creature." She said emotionlessly. She was wearing the traditional shinigami robes, though she had a platinum chain choker around her neck. Hanging from a half-inch long platinum chain that was attached to the choker was a beautiful and large butterfly made of pure amethyst. Platinum bordered the amethyst to hold it securely in place. It was about the size of her palm, and sat just under the place where her collarbones almost touched each other.

Two earing dangled from her ears. There were small sapphires immeded in a thin chain about an inch in length, and hung from her ears. Her hair had two locks on either side of her face that were shorter then the rest of her hair, reaching her cheekbones in a regal fashion. "Lovely as always." The man replied with equal lack of emotion.

"Who's this, Aizen-taicho?" The other man asked with a grin.

"Haven't you taught your toys any manners, Aizen? I'm standing right here." The woman scolded calmly.

"Apologies... Why don't you introduce yourself?" Aizen said politely, though his voice was thick with evil. The woman looked at the expectant grinning man.

"Miyuki Maruyama. Former Captain of the Gotei 13, and member of the Zero Division." She said stoicly, and Aizen narrowed his eyes.

"If you are still with them, then why are you here? I can't imagine they would send only one person to stop me." Aizen mused aloud.

"Stop you?" Her deep blue widened with shock, though they were also amused. "Good heavens, no. There's no way I could stop _you, _Aizen." She let out a small, clipped laugh.

"Then why ya here?" Gin asked, his grin never faltering.

"To help the ones who are here to stop you." She said with a sweet smile just as a massive black and crimson attack hit the ground he and Gin had been standing. The dust cleared to reveal they were perfectly fine, standing a few steps away from a large crater. Suddenly, two people flashed stepped on either side of Miyuki, and she didn't even blink as they did.

"Who are you?" The orange haired one growled.

"Hey there, Isshin." Miyuki said brightly, blatantly ignoring the other guy as she looked at the man on her right. "Been a long time since I saw you."

"It has. Ichigo, this is Miyuki Maruyama." Isshin said formally, and she tilted her head to the side slightly.

"You remember even my last name after all these years. I'm impressed." She teased lightly.

"So are you here to help us?" Ichigo asked, interrupting Isshins response. She looked at him, frowning lightly.

"No, not really. All I can do is prevent Aizen from using his sword. I could probably keep Gin occupied, though." Miyuki sighed. "Though I can't do much... I'm still not very skilled in combat."

"Leave the combatting to us. We'll handle Aizen." Isshin said immediatly.

"How are you going to stop Aizen's sword?" Ichigo asked, and Miyuki carefully watched Aizen and Gin.

"By doing this." She drew a small blade, only a foot in length, from inside her sleeve. "Blind, Mirarame." She murmured, and the blade seemed to shimmer slightly for a moment. Ichigo frowned as nothing else happened.

"What's that supposed to do?" He demanded irritably.

"Isshin, you can see it, yes?" She asked emotionlessly.

"Yeah. Thanks for clearing things up." Isshin said before he gripped the hilt of his blade tighter.

"Are you done yet?" Aizen called calmly from where he and Gin had been waiting this whole time. In response, Isshin and Ichigo ran forward to attack. Miyuki didn't move, her eyes narrowed in concentration. Gin flash stepped beside her, grinning at her.

"Ain't ya gonna to fight?" Gin asked with a grin.

"Aren't you?" She countered, turning her head towards him and raising an eyebrow.

"Nah. I'd jus' get in tha way." Gin said as he sat down on a rock. They were still a good distance away from Karakura, as Miyuki had intercepted them before they reached it.

"As would I... I'd probably just get killed, and then I wouldn't be any help, would I?" Miyuki asked with a small smirk as she sat down beside him, not caring that they were so close, though she was still tense in case.

"Nah, ya wouldn't be. Though ya ain't much help now, are ya?" Gin said with his fox grin.

"Oh no, of course not. I'm just giving Isshin a chance to actually not get struck down within five seconds. Apparently it's working, as they've been fighting for over a minute already." Miyuki said calmly, holding her short blade calmly in her lap.

"Ya know they stand no chance?" Gin asked curiously.

"Oh I know." Miyuki said with a small smile. _That's why I'm here, after all._

"So how 'bout sharin' what ya did there?" He leaned forward with a grin.

"Whatever are you talking about?" She asked him innocently.

"Ya Zanpakuto. What'd it do?" He asked, grinning still.

"What? You mean to haven't noticed?" She tilted her head to the side at him. "Oh! What's that sound?" She grinned as his smile faded slightly.

"I see... No wonda." He said calmly, and Miyuki smiled at him.

"No wonder what?" She asked with a smile.

"No wonda you ain't afraid of me." Gin said as his Zanpakuto suddenly sprung to life, impaling Miyuki right through the ribs, going in one side and out the other. "Mah bad... Fingers slipped."

"You missed." Miyuki purred from where she suddenly stood behind Gin, her lips pressed to his ear and her blade tip lightly brushing against his backbone. He tensed, staring at the spot where he had stabbed her, but nothing was there. There wasn't even blood on his sword.

"Hn. Pretteh good." He said with a fox grin.

"Why thank you." Miyuki said, smiling against his ear. "You know, you were much scarier when you were a child. I always wondered how Rangiku could ever have been so close to you. She was a lovely child."

"Well, ya know tha' sayin'. Opposites attract." Gin grinned, and Miyuki laughed a bit.

"Well, that would explain it." She said with a smile.

"So why ain't ya killed me yet?" Gin asked, his grin firmly in place.

"What is your favorite type of music, Gin?" Miyuki asked as Ichigo suddenly flew past them and into a tree. Miyuki didn't even blink as he stood up, cursing loudly, and jumped right back into battle.

"I be thinkin' Aizen-taicho wants me ta take care of ya." Gin said, standing up. Miyuki pulled away from his body as he did, straightening herself up.

"Well then, how about we play?" She smiled at him, and he grinned.

* * *

**Here's the Prologue. None of the chapters are this short, and I hope you guys don't mind too much, but the 'epic battle' get's skipped =\ My battle scene's are total crap, but everything that happened is explained later. I hope you guys don't mind Please review!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Here's Chapter 1! Please review.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own. I just own Miyuki... and the epic wall scroll of Byakuya that's hanging on my wall. What can I say, I dig the ever-stoic and emotionless ones! xD**

* * *

Miyuki stood over the Fake Karakura town, standing in air. Beside her were two heavily beaten Kurosaki's, and her sword held weakly in her hand. She looked rather beaten herself, a large area of her abdomen soaked in blood. "We did it..." Ichigo said in disbelief.

"Yeah, we did... I almost forgot how good it was to fight with you, Miyuki." Isshin said with a grin, and Miyuki tiredly nodded, panting. "You shouldn't have used your powers, though. It's no wonder you're so exhausted."

"What exactly did you do, anyways?" Ichigo asked with a frown.

"Isshin... Explain. Too tired." Miyuki said between pants.

"She used her Bankai, as I'm sure you heard. She has the most powerful illusion Zanpakuto in all existence. The reason it's so powerful is because it can turn illusions into reality. So all she did was create an illusion of us killing Aizen, and made it a reality, so we won." Isshin explained, and Ichigo looked at the thouroughly exhausted Miyuki with startled eyes.

"Really? Well why did you do that from the start! We wouldn't have even gotten into the mess!" He growled, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"I'm part of the Zero Division... I couldn't exactly leave at a whim to help out people when we didn't even know anything was going on until Yamamoto contacted the Division last month. By that I had orders to stay and guard the Royal Family with my life, and it wasn't until the last second that I was sent it." Miyuki growled between pants. "I would have come as soon as I heard if I could, but the King's word is absolute. I'd have been killed before I could even think of leaving."

"Damn it." Ichigo said, growling in irritation.

"Besides, Isshin... If my Zanpakuto really was as strong as it's made out to be, Gin wouldn't have been able to give me a near fatal wound... We're just lucky no one was killed in the cross fire, honestly." Miyuki panted.

"Nonsense. The only reason you got hurt is because you are miserable at combat." Isshin said, nudging Miyuki lightly with his elbow, causing her to stumble in her weak state.

"What are we going to do about all this, though..?" Ichigo asked, looking at the massive amount of injured and dead shinigami.

"I don't know... The Captain-Commander is dead... All the other captains who were here during the battle, and all the Vizard, are heavily wounded... I don't think Unohana alone will be able to save them all." Isshin said thoughtfully.

"She won't have to." Miyuki said as she raised her blade slightly.

"Miyuki, don't be stupid. You've already used it once, if you use it again it will hurt you ba-" Miyuki cut Isshin off with a glare.

"Shut up." She said icily. "I'll be careful with what I do... Only one person needs to be ressurected, the others just need to stop bleeding all over the damn place." She growled as she turned her blade in the air. "Bankai. Kontororu subete no kankaku, Mirarame." She murmured exhaustedly, the blade shimmering before it dissapeared completely. She created an illusion of Yamamoto being alive again, and the injured healed just enough that they wouldn't die in the next six hours, giving them plenty of time to return to Soul Society and get to the 4th Division. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply before she used her Bankai to make the illusion become fact, and then promptly collapsed.

* * *

"Ack! Ow!" Miyuki cried out a week later when she woke up in Soul Society.

"Stop moving." Unohana scolded her gently.

"Sorry." Miyuki said calmly. "I'm just not used to these side effects."

"It's good to know that you don't make a habit of nearly killing yourself." Unohana said in monotone, and Miyuki smiled at her.

"Well, death is a dull, dreary affair. I tend to do my best to avoid it." She says with a small laugh that ended in her coughing heavily.

"Do you see now why I told you to stop moving? Now be quite as well." Unohana scolded as she continued her healing.

"Sorry." Miyuki coughed out.

"What did I just say?" Unohana asked in monotone, and Miyuki smiled weakly at her. "There." Unohana said several minutes later. She stood up, pulling her glowing hands away from Miyuki.

"Can I leave, then?" Miyuki asked as she sat up, feeling stronger.

"Yes. You are free to go. I suggest you go to the Captain-Commander immediatly. He worries over your presence. We're meeting in the meeting room shortly." Unohana said in monotone as Miyuki stood up.

"Wow. Now people worry just when I'm within 100km of them. Now I feel acomplished." Miyuki said dryly as she fastened her sheath to her left forearm tightly with small belts. She grabbed the belts with her teeth as she held the sheath in place with her hand and tugged until she was satisfied with the results. Miyuki rolled down her black sleeve, smiling at Unohana as she slipped her Zanpakuto into the sheath. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." Unohana smiled, though her words were still in monotone. Miyuki nodded another thank you before she turned and left. Immediatly, she started flash stepping towards the 1st Division, looking around and taking in everything in sight. As she flash stepped, she touched the beautiful amethyst butterfly on her chest. Her deep blue eyes narrowed with sadness before all expression was wiped clean off her face as she reached the 1st Division's chambers.

Ignoring the curious looks, she strode through the building and straight to the Captain's meeting room. She wasn't surprised to see Yamamoto, Hitsugaya, Shunsui, and Ukitake there already. Ignoring them, she walked right past them and straight to Yamamoto. "Glad to see you're alive, Yamamoto-sama." She greeted him formally, bowing as she stepped in front of him.

"I suppose you are the one to thank for that." Yamamoto said gruffly, and Miyuki straightened up.

"I suppose so. I hear you want to speak with me." Miyuki said in a slightly questioning manner.

"Yes... However, we will speak when the rest of the Captains arrive." Yamamoto said, and Miyuki bowed again. She turned on her heel, yet again blatantly ignoring everyone else, and walked to the end of the room. She turned around once more so she was facing Yamamoto, standing directly in front of him a good distance away. Twelve minutes later, all of the captains were in their places. _Glad to see everyone's alive... _Miyuki thought, her eyes scanning over them all. She paused a moment when her eyes met Byakuya's, but returned to scanning. "As I'm sure you've all noticed, Miyuki is standing with us once more."

_And if they haven't, then you did a bad job of healing them._ Mirarame murmured softly in Miyuki's mind.

"Everyone has been safely returned, much of it thanks to Miyuki's Zanpakuto... Which brings us to the reason behind this meeting. Miyuki, why are you here?" Yamamoto asked gruffly, and Miyuki narrowed her deep blue eyes, her face free of any emotion.

"I was ordered by the Reiou to help you all clean up the Aizen mess. They sent me specifically for the simple fact that I was the only one currently alive who could counter his abilities." Miyuki said coldly, her voice stern.

"That doesn't explain why you're still here." Mayuri commented, and Miyuki looked at him with an almost disgusted expression before she returned to looking at Yamamoto, her face a void once more.

"He gave me direct orders to then station myself within Soul Society." Miyuki stated calmly, and Yamamoto opened one eye a slit to gaze at her.

"For what reason?" He demanded sternly.

"Did you honestly believe this incident would hold no ill effects other then Aizen?" Miyuki asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Seven people were turned into Hollows, and the three people who tried to help them were blamed and sentence to death and exile all because of an _illusion_. The ones who guarded the gates around Seireitei betrayed you all, except for one. Three Captains betray Seireitei, leaving Soul Society vunerable. And then the worse of them all, Central 46... The very group of people created by the Reiou himself to govern over the laws... Were single handedly destroyed." Miyuki said, narrowing her eyes. "Unacceptable, in the the eyes of the Reiou."

"So then you are here to pick up the peices?" Yamamoto guessed, and Miyuki's eyebrows shot up.

"Good heavens no. I'm just his guard. No, I'm here to _help you_ pick up the peices. Basically, I've been permanently reassigned to Soul Society to act as a liason between dimensions." Miyuki explained.

"If you are just a guard, then why would they give you such a position?" Ukitake asked curiously, and Miyuki blinked slowly, her expression colder then an angry Byakuya's.

"Because I'm the weakest of the guard." She said simply. "My power lies within my blade, and even so, my true power has ghastly side effects on me and I can rarely use it. In fact, if it weren't for Unohana-taicho's immediate assistance, I would likely have died from using it twice in such a short time span. I was simply the one guard who could be spared, and therefore I was assigned this duty." Miyuki explained icily.

"What do you want to do about Central 46's ruling on the Vizards, Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, and Tsukabishi Tessai?" Shunsui asked, leaning forward slightly. Miyuki snapped her deep blue eyes to him.

"Simple. Central 46 rulled that the Vizards were Hollows, and as such were to be dealt with like Hollows. However, we have _all_ seen that they are _not_ hollows, therefore the order is void. They are half-hollow, for lack of a better term, and will remain exiled and nothing more. As for the other three, the Reiou only has one specific order." She said, pausing to look at Yamamoto. "Tsukabishi Tessai used forbidden techniques. This is fact. Shihoin Yoruichi disobeyed a direct order and broke the law when she helped him and Urahara Kisuke escape. However, Urahara Kisuke did nothing. He broke _no_ law what-so-ever, and there for the Reiou's orders are to lift the order of exile that was set upon him."

"What about the others?" Soifon cut in immediatly, and Miyuki sighed softly.

"He says that is for you to decide." She said without any emotion.

"Well, none of it would have occured if it weren't for Aizen's crimes and deception. If anything, Tessai and Yoruichi were in the right. I don't believe they should continue to be punished for that." Hitsugaya cut in.

"I must agree." Unohana said in monotone.

"I do as well." Komamura added with a thoughtful look.

"...As do I." Byakuya said after a moment, and Miyuki tensed at the sound of his voice.

"Same with myself." Shunsui said with a lazy shrug.

"As far as I can tell, they did only what they had to in an attempt to ensure Seireitei's safety..." Ukitake mused thoughtfully. "I agree, they were not the ones in the wrong."

"Well, then... Their exile orders will be lifted, and they are free to return here if they so please." Yamamoto said before Soifon, Zaraki, or Mayuri could voice their opinions. Even if all three of them were against it, they were outnumbered.

"Glad that's settled... Onto the next issue at hand. Any suggestions on the replacements for the Captains?" Miyuki asked, scanning everyone's faces once more.

"There's Renji... He has achieved Bankai, and as far as I know he's the only one to have." Shunsui said thoughtfully.

"He's hotheaded... However he is capable." Byakuya said icily.

"I agree. A few months and he'll become used to the duties. He'd be a fine Captain with a little experience." Ukitake inputted with a smile.

"Hm... He is capable, and skilled... But I worry about him being _too_ hot-headed." Komamura mused with a frown.

"He isn't careless, if that is what you are implying." Hitsugaya cut in, stoic as ever. "I've seen him fight, and he handles himself rather well. It's his level of strength that _I_ worry about."

"He isn't reckless, no... I believe him to be a good choice." Unohana said in monotone, a gentle smile on her face.

"Hell yeah." Zaraki said simply, and Miyuki resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the barbaric man.

"I agree, he is a good choice." Soifon said stoicly. _When did the Gotei 13 lose all its emotions?_ Miyuki thought in irritation as she noticed how many of the Captains showed none.

_Same time you did, sweet cheeks._ Mirarame chirped in her mind.

_I merely hide my emotions. Though I suppose that's what they are doing... Only I simply do it during serious times like these. _Miyuki snapped back.

_Tomato, tomoto._

"Then Renji shall be appointed the Captain of the Fifth Division." Yamamoto declared, and Miyuki frowned slightly.

"And the other two? Third and Ninth division are still open, and as of now the only person in Soul Society with Bankai, who isn't a Captain already, is me." Miyuki said, and Yamamoto frowned at her. "And I'm not making that mistake again!" She clarified immediatly, and Shunsui barked a laugh.

"You are lazier then myself, sometimes." Shunsui laughed, and Miyuki frowned at him.

"Impossible." She said simply before looking back at Yamamoto. "We could offer Urahara and Yoruichi positions again." Miyuki suggested stoicly.

"I doubt they would accept..." Ukitake said hesitantly.

"Absolutely not!" Mayuri immediatly shouted, and Miyuki looked disgusted again for a split second before she was expressionless again. Obviously she didn't like Mayuri. "I will not agree with having that lunatic in Seireitei!"

"And I suppose you have a better idea?" Miyuki snapped, her voice venomous despite her lack of expression.

"I suggest that we only ask-" Miyuki cut Mayuri off.

"Yoruichi wouldn't come unless Urahara did as well. You know that. So it's either you get..." She paused, reigning in her emotions and turned to look at Yamamoto with a calm expression, her voice equally calm as she spoke again. "It's either both of them, or we find others to fill the positions. Since none of us seem to know of anyone else qualified, I don't see another option."

"We will send word to Urahara Kisuke and Shihoin Yoruichi offering them their positions." Yamamoto said gruffly before anyone else could get a word in. "If they deny, then we will come up with another solution. In the mean time, where will you be setting up your residence, Miyuki?"

"My family estate. I assume it's still in one peice?" Miyuki raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Yes, it is." Yamamoto said gruffly. "Now then... That is all. Dismissed." Yamamoto said before he quickly flash stepped away. As soon as he was gone, Miyuki's shoulders drooped and she dropped to a kneel on the ground.

"Miyuki!" Ukitake called in alarm as he crouched down beside her.

"Sorry." Miyuki said apologetically, her long purple hair shrouding her face slightly. "I'll probably be exhausted for some time..." She said, looking stressfully at her trembling hand.

* * *

"Rangiku, how are you possibly still so lazy?" Miyuki asked the red head curiously. They were sitting in the 10th Division's Captain office, Rangiku splayed out on the sofa while Miyuki sat on the floor with the back of her head against Rangiku's calf.

"It takes alot of work." Matsumoto replied, and Miyuki laughed lightly.

"Of course. Doing no work must be _so_ much work." Miyuki laughed.

"It made more sense in my head." Matsumoto grunted a reply.

"Imagine that." Miyuki remarked dryly. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Fifty-five years." Matsumoto said with a sigh.

"Yeah... I'm sorry that I left so abruptly. You probably never even knew the truth about where I went." Miyuki sighed herself.

"No, Ukitake-taicho told me. He said you wouldn't want me to worry about you." She said with a small laugh.

"That's true. You and I were pretty good friends back then... You were a great lieutenant... Minus the being drunk almost constantly, and the whole deserting your duties part." Miyuki teased, and Matsumoto laughed softly. "All right, what's wrong?" Miyuki asked, narrowing her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Matsumoto asked, looking at her curiously.

"You're sad. Why?" Miyuki asked, frowning.

"I'm... I'm just still a little upset over Gin's betrayal." Matsumoto sighed. "What happened to him? No one knew the details, only that he died..."

"I killed him." Miyuki answered honestly, and Matsumoto blinked at her. "He was ordered by Aizen to kill me because I cancelled out Aizen's Zanpakuto, so we fought... and I won. Though I wouldn't have if it weren't for my illusions. It really irritated me that Aizen kept messing them all up." Miyuki scowled in anger at the memory.

"Well, you definately got him back for it." Matsumoto said with a laugh, and Miyuki joined in on her laughter.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?" Miyuki laughed, her laughter dissapearing when Hitsugaya walked into the office. "Speaking of.." Miyuki said, though her next words had nothing what-so-ever to do with what they were talking about previously. "I'm still glad that you of all people became Captain." She said, smiling at Hitsugaya.

"Why are you on my floor?" Was his only response. Miyuki pouted at him, and Matsumoto did the same.

"It used to be my floor too, you know." Miyuki pouted.

"It's mine now. Why are you on it?" Hitsugaya asked again.

"Well, you see Taicho, Miyuki wasn't feeling very happy so she came to visit me. I was just trying to cheer her up!" Matsumoto wailed, and Miyuki and Hitsugaya both rolled their eyes.

"Matsumoto, why isn't your paperwork done!" Hitsugaya demanded as he looked back at his lieutenant only to find she had ran away, and Miyuki was still sitting on the floor.

"She's quick for someone with such huge breasts." Miyuki commented, and Hitsugaya sighed.

"She needs to learn to do her job." He growled in irritation, and Miyuki looked at him with a calm expression.

"I'll help you out. I've got nothing better to do." Miyuki said as she stood, her body still trembling almost unnoticably from the aftereffects of using her Bankai. She sat down at Matsumoto's desk while Hitsugaya sat at his, and began scribbling on the papers quickly. "...Toushiro, how's Byakuya been?" Miyuki asked after a long silence. She was probably one of the only people Hitsugaya ever let call him by his first name. He was only okay with it because she used to be his mentor, and was technically still higher ranking then him since she was still part of the Royal Guard.

"Hard to say. Five years after you left, Hisana died. A year after that, Byakuya adopted her sister into the Kuchiki Clan. Rukia." Hitsugaya said emotionlessly as he worked as well. "During Aizen's defection, he set Rukia up to be executed. Byakuya fought against the people who were trying to save her, but eventually took a blow to save Rukia's life. It would have been fatal if Unohana wasn't there, and he was already heavily wounded... After that, he seems to be less up tight as before, but it's hard to tell. He almost never shows his emotions anymore. In fact, I've never seen him show any emotion." Hitsugaya noted as he wrote.

"...In fact, he even helped Rukia and Renji disobey direct orders and go to Hueco Mundo, then followed and helped them." Hitsugaya said with a frown.

"Perhaps he is more like the old him, then..." Miyuki sighed, and Hitsugaya raised his head to look at her questioningly, but she had bent her head and was scribbling away.

* * *

**Oh? What's this? Miyuki knew Byakuya before she joined the Guard? =) Review! 3**


	3. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! For the moment, Mirarame's mind talking will be in bold cause it could kind of confusing. Read and Review, Please ^^**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own, but I do own Miyuki :)**

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Miyuki looked upon the scene with a mix of hate, despair, and happiness. She was happy for him, but hated what he was doing, and was despairing over the loss she was suffering for his decision. How could he do such a thing to her? What did she ever do to deserve the pain he didn't even know he was inflicting upon her? Why her? "Miyuki-taicho." Ukitake greeted her as he sat down beside her. She was silent, simply glaring at her hands. "I heard the accepted your promotion."

_"Yes." Miyuki said curtly, her voice tight._

_"When will you be leaving us?" Ukitake asked with a hint of sadness._

_"Tonight is my last night here. I will be leaving before sunrise tomorrow morning." Miyuki replied, her face free of expression and her voice emotionless. _

_"Ah... I see you still have not taken off the stone." Ukitake observed, and Miyuki reached up to touch the beautiful amethyst butterfly that sat just above her bust. _

_"No, I haven't. Nor will I ever... Excuse me, Ukitake. The ceremony is complete, and I need to prepare for my new life." Miyuki said as she stood._

_"Miyuki." Ukitake called calmly as she walked away, and she paused with her back to him. "You don't need to hide your emotions."_

_"No... But I am incapable of correctly expressing them." She said, her voice breaking with sorrow, the first emotion she'd shown during the conversation. Without another word, she flashstepped away._

Miyuki woke up with her body covered by a thin sheet of sweat due to the pain in her body. She panted heavily, pain lancing her body. **Miyuki...**Mirarame whined in her mind.

_I shouldn't have used Bankai more then once... I shouldn't have even used it once._ Miyuki scolded herself as she sat in the bed, trembling. After several minutes, she finally stood up and changed into her shinigami robes.

**What do you think, Miyuki? About being here again.** Mirarame asked in her mind as she left the estate.

_I think we need to be on guard. Aizen may be gone, but we still have enemies within Seireitei. Well, I do anyways. Especially since your abilities are so similar to Aizen's Zanpakuto's..._ Miyuki said with a mental sigh as she walked calmly through the paths of Seireitei.

**Do you think anyone would try to hurt us?** Mirarame asked curiously.

_It isn't likely that they would try anything within these walls, but they might if we leave._ Miyuki replied thoughtfully.

Miyuki thought as she passed a graveyard. When regular souls died, thier bodies dissapeared so there was nothing to bury. However, Shinigami were different. Their bodies didn't fade, so they were actually buried. Finally Miyuki reached her desination. A pond hidden within the trees. _I really hate staying with my family again. Being part of a noble family is extremely tiring, especially since I'm supposed to be the next leader of it. _

**Just be glad your father isn't dead yet, or you'd already be the Head of it, and then what would you do?** Mirarame pointed out.

_Stab myself in the forehead._ Miyuki answered seriously and without missing a beat as she sat down on one of the large rocks that surrounded the large pond. She stared into the water as though it held the answers to all her problems.

**Do you remember the first time we came here?** Mirarame asked suddenly, her voice amused. Miyuki closed her eyes and let the memories that Mirarame were showing her fill her mind.

_

* * *

_

"Byakuya, look!"

_Miyuki had called excitedly. Her dark purple hair was shorter and tied up in a high ponytail._

_"What is it now, Miyuki?" Byakuya asked, and Miyuki grinned as he called her by her name. She had to badger him into it, since he kept wanted to add -sama to her name. She insisted that since they were both going to become the Head of their Noble Families, they were equals. Both of them were teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen._

_"Look at what I just found!" Miyuki exclaimed excitedly as she grabbed Byakuya's hand and tugged him after her._

_"Hey! Don't pull on me." Byakuya scolded her, but Miyuki ignored him. Finally, she dragged him over some bracken and stopped in front of a large pond._

_"Isn't it beautiful, Byakuya?" Miyuki asked excitedly as she released his hand and bounced forward._

_"Yes. Now stop bouncing on the rocks, or else you'll sl-" Byakuya cut himself off as Miyuki slipped and fell into the pond with a yelp of alarm. He let out an exhasperated sigh, flash stepping onto the rock. "You look like a wet dog." He said coldly, and Miyuki scowled at him. She was completely soaked, laying in the water with her arms propping her up. He sighed again, offering her his hand. She gratefully took it, but then tugged on it hard enough to pull Byakuya, who was caught by surprise, into the water with her. _

_"Now you do too!" She laughed as she stumbled to her feet. As she tried to run away from the recovered Byakuya, she felt him grab her wrist and pull her back into the water. She laughed happily as she fell back into the water, shoving her hand through it so she splashed Byakuya. He scowled at her as he got even more wet and splashed her back, only to get an even larger splash to the face. Miyuki burst into even more laughter, completely uncaring about how they were acting. Byakuya was about to yell at her for not acting like the next Head of a Noble Family, but paused when he saw the joy on Miyuki's face as she laughed._

_After a moment, he allowed a smile on his face, and Miyuki smiled back at him through her laughter._

Miyuki opened her eyes, sighing sadly. _But all that's changed now. Ever since his parents died..._ Miyuki thought sadly. She smiled at the memories, but it was a sad smile. "Don't you have work you could be doing? Surely you must be busy." Miyuki narrowed her eyes at the sound of Byakuya's voice.

"No. If I go near any of those barbaric fools again, I may hurt one of them. By accident, of course." Miyuki added as she turned her head to look at Byakuya, still sitting calmy on the rock.

"Of course." Byakuya agrees emotionlessly.

"Tch." Miyuki scoffs angrily, snapping her head away from Byakuya and towards the pond.

"What?" Byakuya inquired without emotion.

"Oh nothing. The sound of your voice just makes me want to strangle an unsuspecting Arrancar." She growled out. "Do you _ever_ show any emotion anymore, Kuchiki-sama?" She demanded, looking back at him.

"Why would I allow those who are unworthy to see what I feel?" Byakuya asked stoicly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"So now I'm unworthy, hm?" She asked coldly.

"Yes." Byakuya stated simply.

"And why is that?"

"My reasoning is none of your concern." He said emotionlessly, and Miyuki growled in frustration.

"Unbelievable. I'm here a week and a half, and you've already pissed me off so much that _Mirarame_ wants to kill you." Miyuki hissed angrily.

"That is unsurprising. You lack control." Byakuya said coldly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. "How many times have you used Bankai in the past years?" He demanded, and Miyuki followed his gaze to her hands, which were trembling still.

"That is none of _your_ concern." Miyuki sneered, throwing his words back at him. "After all, I mean nothing to you any longer." She stood up, ignoring the fact that her entire body was shaking with both anger and from using her Bankai. "You know, it's a shame, Kuchiki-sama." Miyuki said as she walked away from him.

"What is?" He narrowed his eyes, and Miyuki glared at him over her shoulder.

"That you let your family turn you into such a bastard." She said simply before flash stepping away. _I've never been happier in my life with the fact that Byakuya and I flash stepped together so often. Other wise I would have been too slow to make a good escape._ Miyuki thought with a harsh laugh.

**Hm? There's a Hell Butterfly...** Mirarame said suddenly, and Miyuki dropped onto a rooftop and ceased running. A few moments later, a Hell Butterfly flittered over to her and landed on her fingertip.

"Maruyama Miyuki, you are to go to the Human World immediatly and speak with Urahara about the offer." The Hell Butterfly said, and Miyuki blinked. _I guess Yamamoto was too lazy to call me to his office and give the orders in person. Oh well._ And with that thought, Miyuki opened a Sekei Gate and stepped into it.

* * *

Miyuki rubbed her foot as she pressed it against Urahara's face. "Ouchies!" Urahara whined as she pulled her foot away.

"Urahara, why is it that you are so incapable of replying 'Yes' or 'No' to a simple message, and I had to come all the way here just to get an answer from you?" Miyuki demanded icily.

"Because I'm incapable of replying 'yes' or 'no' to a simple message." Urahara replied cheekily as he sat up. She smacked him on the back of the head, sending him face first into the table. "Ack!"

"Stop abusing the baka." The deep voice of Yoruichi in her cat form sounded from the doorway. Miyuki looked over her shoulder to smile at the black cat.

"Hey, Yoruichi... But I'm being serious. We need to know your answer." Miyuki said, narrowing her eyes.

"No." Urahara said immediatly, actually serious for a change, and Miyuki blinked at him. "We refuse."

"We're just fine where we are, and I have no wish to settle in Soul Society again." Yoruichi said as she jumped onto the table and sat beside Urahara.

"I don't either." Urahara agreed, and Miyuki sighed.

"Are you guys kidding me? Seriously?" She growled in irritation. "We have no one else to become the two Captains."

"Well, you could become one." Urahara suggested teasingly, and Miyuki glared at him.

"Well, I'm going to be nagged until either I accept the position, or we find two others to take them. Damn it..." Miyuki cursed, and Yoruichi sighed softly.

"Why don't you talk to Isshin?" She suggested.

"Are you insane, Yoruichi? He would be killed on sight in Soul Society. Besides, only you two and Tessei were forgiven of your crimes... Damn it." Miyuki was about to rant some more when all three of the shinigami in the room snapped their heads up to look to the south. "What the hell is that?" Miyuki demanded, having never felt a reiatsu like that.

"Hm... Strange. It's an Arrancar..." Urahara mused thoughtfully.

"Wasn't Soul Society supposed to send a group of Shinigami into Hueco Mundo and kill off the left overs?" Yoruichi inquired as Miyuki stood up quickly.

"Yes, but we haven't heard back from them yet. We weren't expecting any contact at all for at least a month, since there's no way to communicate back and forth between spacial gaps like the one seperating Hueco Mundo from everything... Besides, they are only supposed to kill the onces in Las Noches. No doubt Ichigo and Isshin are taking care of them. I'll go and help." Miyuki said as she felt a few more Arrancars suddenly appear, as well as Isshin and Ichigo's reiatsu.

"Don't get yourself killed." Yoruichi meowed as Miyuki dashed for the door.

"I'd hate to have to clean up the pieces." Urahara added, as Miyuki dissapeared. "Hm. She didn't even pause to beat me up. I guess being in the Zero Division has matured her a bit." He said thoughtfully.

"If only you would mature as well." Yoruichi growled, her tail twitching.

"So cruel!" Urahara whined.

* * *

Ichigo and Isshin hadn't needed much assistance, so Miyuki returned to Seireitei as soon as she finished helped them get rid of the Arrancars. She had to take on two by herself, and ended up getting a fairly bad injury in the process, since she was still recovering from using her Bankai previously. Immediatly after arriving in Seireitei, she went straight to the Captain meeting room. She arrived quickly, and was irritated to sense all the Captains were there for some reason. Likely, they gathered as soon as she returned to Seireitei due to the fact that she would hold news on Urahara and Yoruichi's decision.

"Miyuki, what happened?" Ukitake asked as he stared at the still bleeding wound in her chest.

"Oh, this?" At this point, all the Captain's had turned their heads to her. "Well, Arrancar's attacked while I was there. I suggest sending more people, perhaps a Captain and a few lieutenants, into Hueco Mundo. Few of the shinigami stationed in the Human World are capable of fighting off an Arrancar."

"It seems that would be necessary... However, first the matter at hand. What were their responses?" Yamamoto asked. _That's hardly the most pressing matter._

"They said no, just as Ukitake-taicho guessed." Miyuki sighed in dissapointment, a feeling Soifon seemed to share.

"Well... One of my subordinate's has come forward and said they have achieved Bankai." Komamura said hesitantly.

"You don't seem too pleased about that." Shunsui noted.

"I'm not. He reminds me too much of Ichimaru." Komamura sighed.

"Can he be trusted?" Mayuri asked, narrowing his eyes. Miyuki tensed at the sound of his voice.

"He's shown no reason not to be..." Komamura sighed again.

"Well... Perhaps we ought to meet him when he comes to show us his Bankai." Ukitake suggested.

"A good idea." Unohana agreed in monotone.

"What about that suggestion I made?" Miyuki pressed, her chest wound no longer bleeding though it was still hurting.

"Who do you want to send, Miyuki?" Yamamoto questioned, and it was easy for her to tell it was a test.

"That's fairly obvious. Matsumoto, Hanataro for healing, I myself would like to go, and I suggest a Captain comes as well. Specifically one whom has already been there. I believe that would be a sufficient force to assist, yes?" Miyuki asked calmly, her voice emotionless as her face.

"Why Hanataro, Miyuki-san?" Unohana inquired curiously.

"He has already been to Hueco Mundo. And it would be foolish to go there without a healer." Miyuki pointed out calmly. "I also ask Matsumoto because she and I have experience working together, since she used to be my fukutaicho. I would have asked for Hitsugaya-taicho to be the Captain who comes, seeing as I want to take his lieutenant with me, but due to how little moisture is in the air there, I suspect it would prove difficult for him to use his Zanpakuto. After all, it draws moisture from the air and Hueco Mundo is greatly lacking in that regard." Miyuki explained emotionlessly.

"Hm... Kuchiki-taicho." Yamamoto said, and Byakuya looked at him expressionlessly. "You will join them, as you have experience within Hueco Mundo. Maruyama Miyuki and Kuchiki Byakuya will lead Yamada Hanataro and Matsumoto Rangiku into Hueco Mundo to aid the group already there."

_...Shit._

* * *

**Review, please. =) Miyuki means Beautiful Snow, by the way. Mi - Beautiful, Yuki - Snow.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3 for ya! Read and Review, please. ^^**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own! Honest!**

_

* * *

_

Miyuki felt dread and sorrow overwhelm her at Yamamoto's words, though she hid all her emotions perfectly. "Hah! Why does the Kuchiki go and I get stuck here?" Kenpachi demanded angrily.

_"Because I am not a barbarian, and am capable of killing... Unlike empty minded fools like yourself." Byakuya answered coldly._

_"...What?" Kenpachi asked, narrowing his eyes dangerously._

_"Was your mind incapable of processing my words? Did I say too many big words for such a small minded creature like yourself? Or are you simply incapable of understanding the meaning behind you being empty minded?" Byakuya asked, his face completely voice of emotion._

_"...The hell'd you say?" Kenpachi asked, his reiatsu flaring slightly. Yamamoto let out a sigh before he turned and left, Shunsui and most of the other captains following._

_"I reufse to repeat myself to someone who is too mentally incompetent to comprehend my words." Byakuya said icily, turning his back to Kenpachi to leave. Kenpachi drew his sword and swung it at Byakuya, but in an instant Miyuki was between them, parrying the sword with her own._

_"I suggest, Kenpachi Zaraki, that you sheathe your blade this instant."_ _Miyuki said calmly, though her voice was colder then a blizzard of ice._

_"The hell's your problem? Outta my way." Kenpachi growled, but Miyuki didn't move a muscle, her short tanto holding his blade firmly in place. Byakuya was looking at them both from over his shoulder, having paused the moment Kenpachi drew his sword._

_"If you believed my words to simply be advice, you were sorely mistaken... Back down, Kenpachi Zaraki, before I have you arrested for drew a blade against a Captain..."_

_"I said... move." Kenpachi snarled. Quick as a snake, Miyuki ducked down as her blade was overpowered by his, and slashed at his abdomen. Kenpachi stepped away from it and brought his blade down at Miyuki, who slipped to the side. Her blade shimmered slightly as she released it wordlessly, an ability granted when one achieves Bankai, and used her illusions to paralyze Kenpachi._

_"Now..." Miyuki said calmly. "Do you even realize the wrong of your ways? You, Kuchiki Byakuya, encouraged him to attack you, knowing it was a heinous crime... And you, Kenpachi Zaraki, fell into it easily. You are both uttely pathetic..." Miyuki said with an icy calmness before she undid her Shikai, and Kenpachi was freed from the illusions. "Fools." Miyuki left the building without another word._

And now she and the others were in Hueco Mundo. Almost immediatly after arriving, they were attacked. Due to their abilities, Miyuki and Byakuya were forced to seperate from Matsumoto and Hanataro to ensure they weren't caught in friendly fire. Miyuki was far away from the others, even farther then Byakuya had gone, because her illusions had a very long range. Miyuki had already cut down the majority of the enemies, and was fighting an apparently powerful Arrancar. She was happy that they weren't as strong as an Espada, but he was still somehow able to resist most of her illusions. It was honestly getting on her nerves, and she didn't think he even realized he was stopping them.

She flash stepped behind him and slashed her sword at his back, but he used Sonido to escape without even a scrape. He flashed back in front of her and swung his claws at her, but she quickly leapt backwards. While her battle skills were terrible without her illusions, she made up for it with her speed. "Hadou Four, Byakurai." Miyuki called, pointing at the enemy. He was struck by the large lightning, but it didn't do much damage. Miyuki narrowed her eyes in frustrasion. _This is pathetic. We are part of the Zero Division, the best of the best. We should be able to do better then this. _Mirarame growled in irritation.

_We can, if there wasn't something preventing our powers._ Miyuki thought, narrowing her eyes even further.

_It's like there's a fog around him, and my illusions can't reach through it..._ Mirarame said softly.

_Don't worry, Mirarame. My speed gives us the advantage._ Miyuki assured her Zanpakuto. She flashed behind the opponent, cutting his shoulder deeply as she did so. He sonidoed around her, surprising her and cutting her side open.

"Your fate has been sealed." He said suddenly, speaking for the first time, and Miyuki frowned in confusion. _Huh? What does he mean?_ She wondered as she flashed forward. To her surprise, he didn't even try to dodge as she impaled him through the chest, severing his spine as she did. She pulled away and jumped back, having a strange feeling. As he crumpled to the ground, he merely grinned at her. "See you soon." He said before he died, and Miyuki frowned even further.

_That was anti-climactic._ Mirarame chirped in her mind.

_That's all you're thinking about? What the hell was he talking about? Did he do something to me?_

_I don't feel any different. He was probably just trying to freak you out, which you're doing._ Mirarame said in a tone that implied she was rolling her eyes.

_Well, I'm a little irked. That seemed to easy. He just stood there and _let_ me kill him. Why? Did his death mean something...? Mirarame, what about that fog you were talking about?_ Miyuki asked with a deep frown.

_Gone. Died when he did. Stop freaking out, all right? Just go back to the others. Sheesh._ Mirarame growled, obviously irritated with Miyuki.

_Has anyone ever told you that you get bitchy really easily over nothing?_ Miyuki inquired innocently as she started to make her way back to the others.

* * *

"Well... I think it's safe to say something went wrong." Matsumoto chirped as we stood in front of the immense ruins of Las Noches.

"What happened? Ichigo didn't even destroy half of this when he was fighting, so what in the world did the rest of this?" Miyuki asked as she stared at the massive chunks of rubble that was left of Las Noches.

"There's no trace of anyones Reiatsu. Whatever did this has been gone for at least two days." Byakuya noted stoicly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"That also means that the group sent here previously were killed... Along with the Arrancar that resided here." Miyuki let out a sigh, folding her arms across her chest. "All right. One of two things happened. The first, a large group of Hollows and Arrancar fought the group, and the battle had this effect... Unlikely, but possible... The second possibility..." Miyuki paused, sighing again. After many moments, she spoke again. "An extremely powerful Arrancar or Hollow did this. I'd say... that after all the things Aizen did, and the commotion Ichigo, Kenpachi, and the others who were here made... A Vasto Lorde must have been alerted."

"A Vasto Lorde!" Hanataro squeaked in alarm.

"Are you sure? Why would a Vasto Lorde be alerted by only a group of shinigami?" Matsumoto asked with a frown.

"As I said, everything else would have brought it out, and once it was out... The shinigami were caught in a wrong palce, wrong time scenario with a Vasto Lorde. Bya- Kuchiki-sama." Miyuki quickly corrected herself, her voice wavering slightly before it was emotionless and tight once more. "Can you sense any one nearby?"

"No. There is no one left here alive." Byakuya replied calmly, and Miyuki sighed.

"Then we aren't safe. Vasto Lorde's can probably conceal their reiatsu... We need to leave. The group is dead, probably buried somewhere in that rubble, and we need to leave before we draw attention to ourself. If a Vasto Lorde did this, then it probably isn't far away." Miyuki said, narrowing her eyes as Hanataro practically hid behind Matsumoto.

"Agreed." Byakuya said emotionlessly as he pulled a small device from his pocket.

"Wait!" Matsumoto cut in quickly, and Miyuki and Byakuya looked at her. "What if someone's alive? We might not be able to sense them because they might be hiding from whatever did this." She explained, and Miyuki lightly bit the inside of her cheek.

"She... does raise a good point." Miyuki said after a moment. "What do you think?" She looked at Byakuya, her deep blue eyes like ice. Byakuya turned around to face the rubble. He stared at it for some time before pressing the button on the remote device he'd pulled out earlier, opening a garganta in the sky. _For once I'm thankful for Mayuri's experiments._

"Is that a no?" Matsumoto asked with a sigh. Without answering, Byakuya leapt into the air.

"That's a no. Let's go before we attract trouble, or worse. We don't need a Vasto Lorde after us. You two go first, I'll go last." Miyuki instructed, and Hanataro leapt after Byakuya and into the Garganta without another word.

_

* * *

_

"Byakuya!" Miyuki ran towards her childhood friend with a bright, successful smile. Byakuya turned around and looked at her with a frown.

_"What is it, Miyuki?" He inquired. They were full adults, and both of them were standing by the pond Miyuki had discovered so many years ago._

_"I did it! I mastered my Bankai!" She said excitedly, and Byakuya stared at her._

_"I am glad for you." He said formally, and Miyuki just smiled at him. She understood that his speaking manner had changed over the years due to how he was raised. Hers did as well, she just let herself act in a non-noble manner around him._

_"I ended up in the hospital for a few days because it took so much energy out of me... I guess I won't be able to use it that often." Miyuki said uncertainly. She had become a captain some time ago when she first reached Bankai, and finally mastered it. Byakuya, however, was still not a captain. Simply because Miyuki had taken the only captain spot that was free, and that was just before Byakuya reached his Bankai. They were both certain he would become a captain as soon as the next spot was free._

_"That's dissapointing... It's a useful power... However, a few days is better then a week and a half, like the last time you used it." Byakuya said with a frown, and Miyuki laughed lightly._

_"Yeah, that's true. Using it before I mastered it was alot harder... I guess it comes with it being so strong." Miyuki said with a smile that faded when she looked at Byakuya. "You're troubled... What's wrong?" Miyuki asked, concerned._

_"I have news of my own." Byakuya said hesitantly. _

_"Well go on, spit it out." Miyuki said as she tried to hide her worry._

_"I asked Hisana to marry me, and she said yes." Byakuya said after a moment... and in that moment, Miyuki's heart was crushed._

_"Really? That's amazing, Byakuya!" Miyuki said with a bright smile she was incredibly far from feeling. "I would smother you with congratulations, but I have to get to my division. I'm terrified of what Rangiku and Isshin will do to my office if I'm gone for too long!" Miyuki said with a bright laugh. She'd never been so glad about learning how to perfectly conceal her emotions before. Byakuya smiled softly at her as she waved goodbye before dashing off. She shunpoed all the way to her office. Silently, she slipped inside to find Matsumoto there, laughing at her Zanpakuto. Her laughs cut off the moment she saw her captain's expression, her ice blue eyes widening._

_"Taicho, what's wrong?" She demanded as she jumped to her feet at the same instant Miyuki let out a sob. Matsumoto grabbed her captain and pulled her into a fierce hug as she sobbed without tears. _

_

* * *

_

A half year later, Miyuki sat through the entire ceremony, telling Byakuya and Hisana how happy she was for them. Three hours later, she was sitting in her office with Matsumoto and Isshin. She and Matsumoto sat on the couch, angled so they were mostly facing eachother, with Isshin sitting lazily on the table. Miyuki didn't yell at him for it like she usually did, which immediatly peaked his and Matsumoto's intrest.

_"What's up, Taicho?" Matsumoto asked curiously._

_"Rangiku, I bought something for you." Miyuki said, and Matsumoto immediatly brightened up while Isshin narrowed his eyes. He knew how much Miyuki hated shopping, so it was somewhat worrying that she did such a thing. "For the both of you, actually..." She pulled out a small box from under her haori. Gently, she handed it to Matsumoto. Matsumoto carefully untied the bow and lifted the top off the light box, pushing away the paper inside. Her eyes widened with shock. _

_"Taicho..." She whispered as she pulled out a long, silk, pink scarf._

_"Do you like it?" Miyuki asked her with a soft smile._

_"Oh, I love it! It's beautiful! Thank you, Taicho!" Matsumoto shouted, hugging Miyuki fiercly before releasing her._

_"I'm glad..."_

_"Why give her such an expensive thing, Taicho?" Isshin inquired, narrowing his eyes as Miyuki. Miyuki sighed softly._

_"It's a going away present. I wanted to leave you both something to remember me by when I'm gone." Miyuki answered, and Matsumoto and Isshin both stared at her intently._

_"Going away? Where are you going, Taicho?" Matsumoto asked, her eyes wide as she held the expensive scarf._

_"I'm going away, Rangiku, Isshin." Miyuki sighed. "I'm sorry it's of such short notice, but I can't tell you where." _

_"Why can't you?" Isshin asked, frowning._

_"Because I need to be alone..." Miyuki stood up, motioning for Matsumoto and Isshin to as well, which they did. "Now for your gift, Isshin. You've been a good friend, and an excellent third seat in my Division. You, nor Rangiku, will ever be forgotten by me. I have already spoken to the others, and they agree with my decision." _

_"Decision?" Isshin questioned, and before he could blink, Miyuki had discarded her haori and tossed it so that it landed on his shoulder._

_"Congratulations, Isshin. You are the new Captain of the Tenth Division." She smiled serenely at the dumbstruck lieutenant and soon to be captain. "Try not to destroy my Division in my absence." And with that, she shunpoed away, never to be seen again for fifty-five years._

_

* * *

_

"Miyuki." Ukitake greeted her calmly as he walked into the small grove. Miyuki looked at him in surprise, nearly slipping into the pond as she did.

_"How did you find me?" Miyuki asked, frowning._

_"You were thinking so hard you forgot to conceal your reiatsu." Ukitake said with a smile._

_"Oh..." Miyuki said, frowning further as she carefully hid her reiatsu before she brought anymore unwanted attention. "Some captain I am." Miyuki scowled._

_"Don't be so hard on yourself. We've all made mistakes like that. I often do to this day." Ukitake said with a reassuring smile. Miyuki let out a sigh._

_"How can you be so calm all the time, Ukitake-taicho?" Miyuki asked him seriously, and Ukitake chuckled._

_"Oh, I'm not. You just have had the luxury of never seeing my anger." Ukitake chuckled, and Miyuki sighed again._

_"My family has always scolded me on being so emtional. They've trained me to be cruel and heartless, but no matter what things they do, I have feelings. Why is that such a bad thing, Ukitake-taicho? I know that there are times in like where you have to be cruel, and I am more then capable of being so... But why does having emotions deem you as weak? Why does showing emotions deem you as pathetic?"_

_"I... I'm not sure I can answer that, Miyuki. I've never been able to understand it either. I suppose it's because in the eyes of many, we are simply killing machines. We are made to kill, and that's all we are for. If emotions get in the way, then we are too weak to do our job... I don't believe in that, but many people do." Ukitake said with a sigh._

_"My parents believe it." Miyuki said softly, and Ukitake snapped his head around to look at her, his expression surprised. She had never talked about her past or personal life with anyone except for Byakuya, not even Ukitake who was her captain for sixty years. "Most days my parents would scream and yell at me for being pathetic." She said with a bitter laugh. "I always thought they were the pathetic ones... You know, Ukitake-taicho... Most people think of me as heartless because of how I act now when I'm around people. When I'm around you or Byakuya, I show how I really feel. It's so refreshing..." Miyuki sighed._

_"I'm sorry that I have to say goodbye to all this. But none-the-less... Good bye, Ukitake-taicho."_

_

* * *

_

"Tch. So you're already quitting the life of a Shinigami?" Miyuki's mother snarled, and Miyuki stared at her expressionlessly. Only the captains were allowed to know where she was really going, and a few lieutenants.

_"Yes, I am." Miyuki replied coldly._

_"Why? Giving up already? You're pathetic!" Her mother spat, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes._

_"I'm leaving tomorrow before sunrise, mother." Miyuki said simply._

_"No!" Her mother shouted, bringing her hand down upon Miyuki. Before it impacted with the captain's face, Miyuki grabbed the wrist and slipped behind her mother, pressing her forearm firmly and painfully to her back._

_"You forget, mother, that I am still a captain until the second I leave. Raising a hand against me is a crime punishable by death." Miyuki snarled into her mothers ear. "If I weren't afraid of my clan suffering for your disgrace, then I would have your head." She shoved her mother forward as she released her grip on her risk, and she stumbled forward before turning against to glare hatefully at Miyuki. "I am leaving tomorrow." Miyuki repeated icily before she left the room._

_"You shouldn't speak to your mother in such ways." Miyuki's father said from where he stood in the hallway, leaning against the wall._

_"Then she shouldn't raise a hand to me." Miyuki growed, and her father opened his ice blue eyes to glare at her._

_"'We must never shed tears. That is -" He began, only for Miyuki to cut him off._

_"-life's form of defeat. If we give in to the emotions, then it only becomes proof of our inability to control them. We must not shed tears. That is surrender of the body to the heart. It is only proof that we are beings that do not know what to do with our hearts.' I know the words, Father. You have only recited them every day of my life, sometimes twice. I know them well, Father." Miyuki said icily, her voice emotionless once more. _

_"Good. Never forget them, Miyuki. Or you will forget yourself." He said coldly. "Tell me, why are you quiting as a shinigami?"_

_"Because it is time to continue on with my life." Miyuki said with equal coldness._

_"Move on? It seems more like you are falling behind." Her father said, narrowing his eyes._

_"No, Father... I'm moving on to the life I wanted to live, and I'm quitting the life _you_ wanted me to live." She said, looking at her father, her chin high with defiance. Suddenly, her father had hit her hard enough to send her to the ground. She rolled quickly, crouching on the ground as she touched her now-bleeding lip._

_"You've gotten too defiant, Miyuki. Learn your place." He ordered sternly, and Miyuki glared balefully at him. In an instant, she had shunpoed behind him and held her sword to his throat._

_"No, Father. I've merely gotten too strong for you to control me any longer. You are no match for me, Father... You're just a weak man who has to beat up children to feel superior. What's the matter, Father? Too weak to stand up against anyone but a little kid? You must be _so_ proud of yourself." Miyuki sneered. "What, no quick witted response? No threat towards me?" She scoffed, her Zanpakuto still pressed against his throat. "Perhaps it is _you_ Father, who needs to learn their place."_

_"How dare you-" He bagan but Miyuki cut him off._

_"No. How dare _you_ allow that crazed man use your daughter like a lab rat? It doesn't matter.. I'm leaving tomorrow, and you cannot stop me. Do me a favor and die already. Spare my clan the despair of having a disgusting worm like yourself as it's Head." Miyuki spat before she removed her blade from her fathers neck. "Make any wrong moves while I'm away, Father, and I will be the one cutting your pathetic life short." She began walking away._

_"Was that a threat?" He snarled, and Miyuki stared at him coldly over her shoulder._

_"Yes, quite obviously it was. Make no mistake, Father. I don't give threats that I'm unwilling to follow through on."_

_

* * *

_

**Haha! Miyuki would have totally gotten her ass kicked by Kenpachi if it weren't for her blade. He could have just swatted her like a fly and she'd be owned xD. By the way, she didn't actually go ninja on him, she just made an illusion of that. No, she isn't anywhere near that kick-ass, *sigh*. What'd you guys think? Alot of this chapter was flash backs to explain a few things =) Review!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Here's chapter 4. Read and review, please ^^**

**Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Bleach. Sorry.**

* * *

Byakuya, Miyuki, and Yamamoto were all in Yamamoto's office. Yamamoto was sitting at his desk, Byakuya was standing, and Miyki was leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest. "What do you think about Kuchiki-taicho's decision to leave?" Yamamoto asked, surprising Miyuki.

"Well, I hardly believe my opinion is relevant now, as we've already acted... However, I agree with it. It was the best decision we could have made. The only reason I even hesitated was because Matsumoto-fukutaicho raised a good point, and I was against leaving any potential survivors to die. However, if we'd stayed then it would have taken many months to dig through just half the rubble. No doubt whatever took out that building would have returned. I would never consent to putting anyone in that kind of danger without knowing what they're dealing with." Miyuki said with a light frown on her otherwise expressionless face.

"We should monitor the Human World closely. If it was indeed a Vasto Lorde, it may enter the Human World to feed due to the lack of hollows near Las Noches." Byakuya noted emotionlessly.

"A good point. We eliminated most of the ones that were left in the area." Miyuki said, frowning a bit deeper as she remembered the enemy who seemed to be immune to her illusions. "I do worry about something, though..." Yamamoto opened one eye, and so she continued. "We killed the Arrancar's we encountered, and all the ones in Las Noches are presumably dead, but Arrancars exist even without Aizen there to gather them up. It could be quite possible that.." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Sorry, I let my thoughts get out of hand... What if these Arrancar's continued to be made without Aizen?" She asked with a frown.

"It's a possibility, but doubtful without the Hogyoku... You're bleeding, Miyuki." Yamamoto said, and Miyuki blinked in surprise. She looked at the floor to see blood was dripping onto it from her back.

"Ah... Sorry. One of the Arrancar was somehow immune to my illusions and he got a few blows in before I killed him." Miyuki said emotionlessly. "I should get out of here before I ruin your floor further." Miyuki said, bowing quickly.

"Very well." Yamamoto said, turned to Byakuya. Obviously dismissed, Miyuki left the room hurriedly. _Hanataro healed this injury the moment I got to him... What in the world is going on?_

* * *

"How's the tea?" Ukitake asked Miyuki after she sipped it. She was in his division, sitting in a room that had three walls, simple archways leaving the fourth wall open. It revealed a beautiful scenery, with dozens of cherry blossom trees in full bloom.

"It's perfect, Ukitake-taicho. How have you been?" She asked him with a smile.

"I haven't been any worse." Ukitake answered honestly.

"That's good, I suppose. It's good you aren't getting worse." Miyuki smiled at him.

"What about you? I hear you visited the 4th Division today." He commented with a hint of worry.

"Oh, an Arrancar slashed my back open. The guy was somehow immune to my illusions, so it ended up being a battle of speed. I won." Miyuki added with a successful grin.

"It's good you haven't lost your touch after so long out of battle." Ukitake said with a smile as he drank his tea.

"Are you kidding me? The training they have you do in the Guard is easily twice as harsh as the worst battle I've ever been in." Miyuki said with a small laugh.

"Really?" Ukitake asked in suprise. "What things do they train you in?"

"Ah... I can't tell, sorry." Miyuki said apologetically, sipping her tea. "I'll probably never even have to use most of the things they taught me. Which is a really good thing, I'll have you know." She said before smiling. "However, I'm still horrible in battle. I've never needed anything but speed and my Zanpakuto release, so I've never mastered any kido above forty. Even that's still pretty weak. I still only know basic fighting, too. I'd lost in a fist fight with a six year old." Miyuki let out a laugh.

"Hey, don't underestimate those kids. They play dirty." Ukitake said, fueling Miyuki's laughter and making him laugh as well. They continued laughing until Ukitake started coughing from it. Miyuki jumped to her feet and ran around the table, crouching beside Ukitake and carefully rubbing his back to help ease the coughs.

"Shunsui-taicho needs to learn to do this before he accidently kills you by making you laugh to death." Miyuki said with a grin. Finally, Ukitake managed to stop coughing, and Miyuki sat back down on her cushion.

"Thanks, Miyuki." Ukitake said, clearing his throat.

"No problem. Drink your tea." Miyuki instructed.

"You sound like Unohana." Ukitake said with a teasing smile before he sipped his tea obediently.

"Yuck. I'd hate to be Unohana. Hanging around you sick oldies day in and day out." Miyuki teased back.

"Oldies? I resent that." Ukitake chuckled.

"No, dear sir, you _represent_ that." Miyuki said with a smile.

"Really, Miyuki... How have you been?" Ukitake asked seriously, dropping his smile. Miyuki sighed, her smile fading as well.

"Can't hide anything from you, eh? I guess that's what happens when you hang around the same person for sixty years." Miyuki smiled lightly at him. "I'm hanging in there, Ukitake-taicho. It's difficult being here. I hate seeing him like he is now. When we were kids, he never hid anything from me. We were like each others escape from the world of Nobles, you know?" Miyuki sighed heavily. "Then his parents died, and he started getting more serious and distant. I didn't mind, but now... What happened to him, Ukitake-taicho? Why is he so much more distant and withdrawn now then he was when I left?" Miyuki asked fretfully.

"Hisana died about fifty years ago, five years after you left. Once she died, he started acting like this. Honestly, I'm not surprise. His parents, grandfather, wife, and you - his only real friend - were all gone. He likely felt like everyone close to him would suffer, and became so withdrawn. At this point, it's become a part of him. He'll probably never go back to how he used to be." Ukitake said with a sigh.

"Great. So I helped make my only friend an anti-social Noble pain in the ass." Miyuki said with a disgruntled sigh. Ukitake chuckled softly.

"I suppose, though I wouldn't have phrased it quite like that." He chuckled, and Miyuki smiled lightly at him.

"If I'd phrased it any other way, it wouldn't have been amusing." She pointed out before rolling her shoulder. "For some reason, everytime I see him I feel like... choking him with that bloody scarf of his.. Or stabbing him with his kenseikan." She said crossly, and Ukitake chuckled again. "Hey, shush." Miyuki pouted at him before they both grew serious once more. "I don't like it, and it's strange for me. I don't usually have such violent tendancies. I shouldn't even be angry with him..." Miyuki lowered her gaze to her tea, looking sad all of a sudden. "All he did was marry the woman he loved, and it wasn't me. I have no reason to hold that against hi-"

"Ukitake-taicho..." A woman called from the archways, and Miyuki and Ukitake both looked over to see a girl standing there.

"Yes?" Ukitake asked with a smile as Miyuki stared at the girl in pure shock.

"I wanted to know if I was going to be sent back to the Human World anytime soon..." She trailed off, looking at Miyuki with a frown.

"Who... are you?" Miyuki asked, still looking stunned.

"That's Kuchiki Rukia, Miyuki. Kuchiki-taicho's sister." Ukitake said, looking at Miyuki worriedly. "Rukia, this is Miyuki Maruyama. My former fourth seat, and former Captain of the 10th Division, and soon to be Head of the Maruyama Clan." He said, and Rukia immediatly bowed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Maruyama-sama." Rukia said, and Miyuki tensely stood.

"Straighten yourself up, Kuchiki-san." Miyuki said coldly, and Rukia did so. She could tell that Rukia was taught to show respect, and due to Miyuki being the next Head of a noble family, she was offered that respect. "You're the sister of the Head of the Kuchiki Clan. You have no need to bow to me... Ukitake-taicho." Miyuki looked at her former captain to see he was still sitting at the tea table.

"Go ahead, Miyuki." Ukitake said with a smile, answering my unspoken question. "Ah, Rukia, I will station you in Karakura town soon, if you want me to." He added, looking at the Kuchiki girl.

"Thank you, Ukitake-taicho." Rukia said with a tense, controlled expression. _Hmph... So much like her 'brother'._

"Kuchiki-san, would you come with me to my family manor?" Miyuki asked formally, her expression blank. Rukia looked at her with suprise written on her expression.

"Um.."

"Go ahead, Rukia. Miyuki is very kind, don't worry." Ukitake said with an assuring smile.

"All right, then..." Rukia said hesitantly. "Now?"

"Yes. Follow me, if you will. I'll keep my steps controlled so I don't get too far ahead of you." Miyuki said with a small smile. Though her words were phrased in a slightly demeaning way, her tone showed she was just being polite and understanding, reassuring Rukia's doubts.

* * *

"This place is amazing!" Rukia exclaimed a half hour later before looking down at her lap, embarrassed. She and Rukia were sitting in Miyuki's lounge, a beautiful room with many plants and walls made of glass so they could see into the massive garden. The lounge was build smack in the middle of the garden, so the view was amazing. Many white sofa's and lounge chairs were in the glass room.

"Ah, thank you." Miyuki said with a small smile. They were both sitting on couches that were facing each other. "It was my mothers. A horrible woman, but she had very good taste in design." Miyuki smiled softly.

"Oh... Why exactly did you bring me here, Maruyama-sama?" Rukia asked in slight confusion.

"Just call me Miyuki. I don't even let the Soutaicho call me anything else." Miyuki said with a small smile. "As for your question, how much of your family history are you aware of? And I mean before you joined the Kuchiki clan."

"Well..." Rukia shifted uncomfortably. "All I really know family wise is that Nii-sama's wife was my sister..." She said hesitantly.

"I see... That explains it, then..." Miyuki sighed heavily.

"I'm sorry, but what does it explain?" Rukia inquired, confused.

"Why you look so much like Hisana." Miyuki explained as she covered her eyes and forehead lightly with one hand and took a calming breath.

"You knew my sister?" Rukia asked, startled. Miyuki lowered her hand and nodded.

"Of course I did. I was best friends with your brother-in-law for his entire life before Hisana." Miyuki said with a hint of bitterness. "I won't lie to you, Kuchiki-san. I hated your sister, and she never did anything to deserve it. In fact, I hated her so much that the moment she and Bya- Kuchiki-sama," Miyuki corrected herself quickly, "-married, I left Soul Society. I've been away for fifty five years."

"Why... did you hate her?" Rukia asked, frowning.

"For something she didn't deserve me to hate her for. I hated her for no reason other then jealousy. Your brother and I were best friends from day one, Kuchiki-san. Honestly, we used to get into the worst messes without even meaning to." Miyuki smiled wistfully.

"I can't imagine Nii-sama ever being like that..." Rukia said sadly.

"Ah, you didn't know him back then. He was very different... It's been over a hundred years since we first met, mind you." Miyuki said with a smile. "One hundred and eighteen years." She sighed before gently shaking her head as though shaking away the memories. "We met when I was nine, and he was ten. We went to the academy together, graduated together... Achieved Bankai together." Miyuki smiled again, letting out a laugh. "In fact, I remember he was so startled when he used Bankai the first time, he almost shreded me!" Miyuki laughed, and Rukia smiled now as well as she imagined that.

"He used to be a hot-headed pain in the ass, Kuchiki-san. Nothing like he is now... But we both were hot-headed, and it almost got us killed on more then one occasion. Like the time I almost jumped off a cliff just to prove to him I could save my life using my Bankai." Miyuki shook her head as she laughed, and Rukia laughed as well. "Good times... I actually got Bankai a few months before him, so I was given the only Captain's position that was open. The Tenth Division's. First thing I did was make Rangiku my lieutenant."

"Really? She's been the lieutenant all this time?" Rukia asked, her eyes wide.

"Yup. One of these days she'll learn to do paperwork." Miyuki grinned, and Rukia smiled as well. "In fact, I'm the one who gave her that scarf she never takes off. She's served as a lieutenant to three captains now." Miyuki added proudly.

"Someone was Captain of the 10th Division between you and Hitsugaya-taicho? Who was it?" Rukia asked curiously, and Miyuki hesitated before answering.

"Yes... Isshin Kurosaki searved as a Third Seat under me until I left. After I helped him get Bankai, when I left... I had him replace me." Miyuki paused at Rukia's stunned expression.

"Isshin? Ichigo's father?" Rukia asked, her eyes wide.

"You know him, then? Yes, he was the Captain of the Tenth Division for six years. In fact, he was exiled only a week before you arrived, so it's natural that you didn't know this..." Miyuki noted aloud, frowning.

"Why was he exiled?" Rukia asked immediatly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes to mere slits.

"Kuchiki-san... I was the kind of Captain who bailed her subordinates out of trouble unless they did something very wrong... Something that broke my own code of honor, basically. Even if one of my subordinates killed someone, I would discuss why they did it with them... and if I approved of their reasoning, for instance they were protecting someone from the person they killed or something, then I would protect them. I would go so far as to lie and hide evidence for them." Miyuki said calmly, and Rukia stared at her. "I was very protective and took care of my subordinates. They were friends and family, not weapons against Hollows."

"And so I protected them like I would my best friends... However, once I left, there was no one to protect them." Miyuki folded her arms across her chest as she leaned back in the couch.

"What... did Isshin do?" Rukia asked worriedly.

"Well... Let me explain something. Isshin and I were very close since before I became a captain. Not as close as By- Kuchiki-sama... and I were, but we were close. Or rather, it was a different kind of close. Isshin was like a brother to me. I went very, very far to protect him. Don't misunderstand me, Kuchiki-san. I highly disagreed with what Isshin was doing. However, I would never judge someone for their choice in love, no matter how illegal or detestable it was to most people." Miyuki sighed heavily, and Rukia was staring at her like she was dreading the next words. "Isshin fell in love and had children with a hollow."

"...What...?" Rukia breathed, her eyes wide.

"Ichigo is the child of a hollow and a shinigami." Miyuki sighed.

"How is that even possible?" Rukia demanded with wide eyes.

"I'm not entirely sure. Misaki was a damn strange woman, though. It isn't _too_ suprising, though I'm worried some of the Arrancar could..." Miyuki trailed off, frowning. "Never mind. It doesn't matter." Miyuki frowned further. "Either way, that's something you definately need to know about Ichigo. He's half-hollow, half-shinigami... Kuchiki-san, I see the same feelings in your eyes that used to show in mine. Don't let him get away like I did, all right? It doesn't matter who, or what, he is. If you love him, then I'll do the same thing for you I did for my subordinates. I _will_ protect you."

"Why... would you do that? You hated my sister..." Rukia said, confused and shocked.

"That's the exact reason, Kuchiki-san. I hated your sister, and I regret it. She was a kind woman, Kuchiki-san. She didn't deserve the way I treated her, so I'm going to make up for it. Besides, I like you... And if Kuchiki-sama is protective of you, then there's nothing I won't do to protect you. He's already lost too much in this life." Miyuki said softly, flicking her long purple hair so that it sat over her shoulder. It was tied up in a high ponytail, and now the ends were sitting just past her shoulder instead of touching her back. Her back was already starting to bother her again.

"...You love Nii-sama, don't you?" Rukia guessed, and Miyuki wasn't surprised. It was pretty obvious by how she'd spoken the entire conversation.

"It's a one-sided love. That's why I hated Hisana so much... It hurt me an unbelievable amount to sit through their wedding, and I left the moment it was over. That was the last time she ever saw me, and Kuchiki-sama didn't see me again for fifty five years. You... really remind me of her." Miyuki said, her voice soft with emotion and her eyes filled with regret.

"Your necklace is beautiful." Rukia noted, and Miyuki's hand flew to the large, amethyst buttefly choker that was around her neck.

"Thank you... It was a gift... You know, I became a captain nearly fourteen years before your brother." Miyuki said with a mischevious smile.

"Really?" Rukia asked, leaning forward.

"Yup. Like I said before, we reached Bankai around the same time, but I got it just before him so I was given the only open captain spot. Took fourteen years for the next geezer to die. Unforunately, it was Byakuya's... Kuchiki-sama's grandfather, who was like a father to me, that died. As a matter of fact, I spent more time at the Kuchiki Manor then my own family's." Miyuki laughed lightly, and Rukia smiled brightly.

"I can't imagine why. This place is gorgeous!" She said and Miyuki giggled.

"Only because my family has been around a couple years longer then the Kuchiki. We got the best manor, the best grounds, and the best plants! But, as I'm sure you've realized, not all Noble's are good people. My family just happens to be filled with them." Miyuki said with a smile. "I'm seriously starting to think my father is going to step onto holy grounds one day and explode for it he's such a bastard." She laughed, and Rukia giggled lightly. "I ended up getting closer to the Kuchiki family then my own. They even tried to get me to marry into their family once, you know."

"Seriously? To who?" Rukia asked with a laugh.

"Oh, you wouldn't know. He mysteriously dissapeared an hour later." Miyuki said all-too-innocently. "But I'm serious, Kuchiki-san."

"If you want to insist on me calling you by your first name, you should do the same..." Rukia cut in and Miyuki blinked at her before nodding.

"A fair request. All right, then. Like I said, I'm serious... Rukia. If you decide to pursue your relationship with Ichigo, then I assure you... No one will ever find out who, or rather what, he is. And if anyone does... Well, let's just say I'm really good at lying." Miyuki said with a smile.

"Why would you go so far for me, Miyuki? We don't even really know each other." Rukia said with slight discomfort.

"I already told you why, Rukia. You're important to Byakuya, and I'll protect you for that. Besides... You're too much like how I was, Rukia. I'm going to protect you from becoming who I am now." Miyuki said indifferently.

"And who are you now?" Rukia inquired seriously, and Miyuki looked at her with a frown.

"A well-bred weapon." Before Rukia could ask what she meant, a hell butterfly fluttered in from the glass door that was slightly ajar. Miyuki lifted a hand and the butterfly landed on her fingertip.

"Maruyama Miyuki, report to the Soutaicho's office immedaitly. I repeat, Maruyama Miyuki, report to the Soutaicho's office immediatly." And the the butterfly fluttered away before Miyuki could take a swat at it.

"Dang things... Honestly, I feel like I'm being used by that irritating old fart." Miyuki scowled, and Rukia stared at her with shocked eyes. "What? You don't think _all_ us Nobles have to be polite and stick-up-the-ass uptight all the time, do you?" Miyuki grinned broadly. "Come on, I'll walk you to the Kuchiki Manor while I'm on the way to the oldies office."

* * *

**This chapter cleared a few things up as well. See? Miyuki really does have feelings =( Review, please.**


	6. Chapter 5

**I present to you, Oh Loyal Readers, Chapter 3! Read and review! 3**

**Disclaimer: For gods sake, I still don't own it D: Stop making me type this stupid thing in here! Q.Q**

* * *

Miyuki blinked her deep blue eyes slowly when she walked into Yamamoto's office. "What's going on?" Miyuki asked Yamamoto, her expression controlled and stoic.

"I want you to go to the Human World... Specifically, Karakura town." Yamamoto said, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"Why would you want me to do that?" Miyuki inquired calmly.

"Hollow and Arrancar activity has increased there. I wish to send someone of captain level there to figure out why, but I cannot spare any of them... Which leaves you." Yamamoto said, and Miyuki's eyes narrowed even further.

"Funny. It sounds more like you're trying to get rid of me... Am I really that untrustworthy, Soutaicho-sama? I have never done anything against you... However, since I'm here to keep an eye on things, I suppose I don't blame you." She shrugged nonchalantly. "All right, I'll go... But I won't be there more then half a year."

"Very well... You will have limiters set on you. Since you aren't a part of an actual division any longer, I'll have you under the 10th Divisions limiters.. If that is fine with you?" Yamamoto asked gruffly.

"Of course... I won't need my full power anyways, since my Zanpakuto and I can take care of things very quickly without using much strength. Might I take Kuchiki Rukia along with me?" Miyuki asked, and Yamamoto frowned slightly. "Before you ask, Ukitake-taicho has already posted her in the Human World, so she might as well come with me."

"Very well. Request granted." Yamamoto said, and Miyuki nodded curtly at him.

"Then I will speak to you again when I have news."

* * *

"...Why are you here...?" Byakuya asked as he met Miyuki at the Kuchiki Manor.

"It's good to see you too, Kuchiki-sama." Miyuki said dryly. "Don't worry, I'm not here to _bother_ you... I'm here to speak with Rukia." Miyuki said, frowning.

"You spoke with her less then an hour ago." Byakuya noted stoicly.

"So I noticed." Miyuki said icily. "Then I spoke with the Soutaicho, and now I'm here again. Glad we got that over with, now is she here still?"

"Nii-sama?" Rukia's voice called as she stepped into the room, blinking at Miyuki in surprise. Miyuki smiled brightly, walking right past Byakuya and over to her, much to Byakuya's irritation.

"Rukia, we have orders from the Soutaicho to go to the Human World." Miyuki said before leaning in and adding in a whisper, "I made sure you were stationed there, so we're going there together."

"Oh... I'll go get prepared." Rukia said with a quick bow before she left. Miyuki folded her arms across her chest, looking over at Byakuya with a cold expression.

"Don't glare at me so coldly, Byakuya." Miyuki said icily. "I don't intend to do anything to her. I'm merely making up for the way I treated your wife." Miyuki said, her voice faltering slightly at the last word.

"Oh? And for what reason should I believe such reasoning?" Byakuya questioned, and Miyuki looked at him with hardened eyes.

"Sixty-three years of friendship. Or at least, that's all it was to you..." Miyuki added with a sigh, and Byakuya frowned slightly. "Look. Byakuya, I didn't accept the promotion to spite you. I didn't do it to leave you. You were my only friend, and you are the only one who has ever, or will ever, know about my childhood. I don't care what you've convinced yourself, I'm not the kind of person who'd leave their friends behind without a good reason."

"And your reason was what?" Byakuya inquired stoicly, seemingly uncaring about the conversation.

"This place brought me an unbearable amount of pain. So, I left. Now that I'm here, I'm in pain again, but I cannot leave without orders to. That's the only reason I even accepted the task of going to the Human World. So I can get away from here, even if it's only for a few weeks, or a few months." Miyuki shrugged, wincing as her actions tugged at the wound on her back. She turned away from Byakuya as Rukia walked back into the room in full shinigami garb. "Ready?"

"Ready." Rukia confirmed, and Miyuki smiled at her.

"Great. Let's get going!" Miyuki said brightly.

* * *

"Isshin!" Miyuki shouted as she litterally kicked the front door down. She and Rukia were in gigai's, though Rukia had calmly invaded Ichigo's room through his window. Miyuki, however, didn't intend to sneak around during her time in the Human World.

"Eeeehhhh?" Isshin whined as he poked his head around the corner to see Miyuki dressed in a dark blue dress. The dress was simple, long sleeved with a V-neck, the bottom hem reaching her knees. Her amethyst butterfly sat visible in the V-neck, and her long purple hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

"Don't act cute, Isshin. You're far from it." Miyuki said as she invaded their home.

"Why are you here?" Isshin asked curiously, and Miyuki rolled her eyes.

"You know why. Apparently Yamamoto-sama doesn't trust me, so he sent me and Rukia to help out." Miyuki complained loudly.

"You could have just refused...?" Isshin questioned with a confused expression.

"Of course I could have. But then I wouldn't be able to bother the hell out of you and your family... Hey, where can I find the Vizards?" Miyuki asked curiously, and Isshin frowned at her.

"I wouldn't know. Ask Ichigo." Isshin said grumpily. "OI! What are you doing!" He demanded suddenly as Miyuki turned her back to him and started lowering her dress. She glared at him over her shoulders.

"You're a doctor, aren't you? Well, stitch me up, since healing doesn't seem to be working." Miyuki said as she lowered her dress to reveal her upper body, though she carefully kept her back to Isshin so he couldn't see her chest.

"Healing isn't working?" Isshin asked in surprise as he fumbled around for surgical needles and thread.

"No. At first I thought it was because Hanataro was incompetant or something, but Unohana's healing didn't work either. It just healed for a little while and then reopened later..." Miyuki said with a sigh.

"Whoa, this is a pretty deep wound. Who did this?" Isshin inquired as he carefully poked the needle into her flesh. Miyuki didn't respond at all as he looped the thread through the long gash on her back.

"Some Arrancar. He was really wierd, too. Byakuya, Rangiku, Hanataro and I all went into Hueco Mundo to find out if anything happened to the team that went in earlier." Miyuki sighed, holding her tied up hair out of Isshin's way.

"Did anything? Happen to them, that is." Isshin asked calmly as he stitched his former captain's back together.

"They were killed. In fact, the entire building of Los Noches was in crumbles. Everything was dead. We suspect a Vasto Lorde was awoken by everything happening is Hueco Mundo and just killed the Shinigami and the Arrancar in the premesis." Miyuki said with a light frown that Isshin couldn't see.

"All right, I'm done. Now wrap the bandages yourself, since I figure you'll likely kill me if I accidently brush one of your breasts while trying to do it myself." Isshin said grumpily as he dropped a bandage wrap in Miyuki's lap.

"Damn right I would." Miyuki said with a light laugh before she started wrapping the bandages around her upper body. "Isshin... I'm sorry." Miyuki said softly as she wrapped the bandages.

"For what?" Isshin asked with a frown that Miyuki couldn't see as he was behind her.

"Not being able to protect you the last years." Miyuki said quietly.

"Don't be. I paid for my crimes, and I'm glad I did. I wouldn't have been happy if I wasn't turned human." Isshin said with a shrug.

"I can't help you out much now that they know you're Ichigo's father... However, only Rukia and I know about his origins, along with a few of the captains. She won't say anything, and I won't either." Miyuki vowed as she pinned the bandages in place.

"Will you protect Rukia?" Isshin asked as Miyuki pulled her dress back on and turned around, flicking her hair back over her shoulder.

"So you noticed their relationship too, eh?" Miyuki asked with a small smile, and Isshin nodded seriously. "Yes, I will. I owe her brother and sister that much... Besides, she reminds me alot of myself. Anyways, everyone who knows you're Ichigo's father knows what he is, so you'll have to be careful revealing yourself to anyone from Soul Society now. If any one who was a captain fifty years ago finds out you're Ichigo's father, then I won't be able to do as much to protect Rukia. I'd be fighting against Byakuya at that point as well, and that's just a battle that would be a pain in the ass to win." Miyuki grumbled.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Do you approve of them, then?" Isshin asked, blinking at Miyuki, who scoffed in distaste.

"No. I also didn't approve of _your_ relationship." She said pointedly. "However, I don't judge people. You were like a brother to me, Isshin. I'll protect Ichigo with all my power, and I'll protect Rukia."

"What about the others?" Isshin asked curiously, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"The Vizards won't be hunted by Soul Society anymore."

"Really? The Reiou approved that?" Isshin asked, visibly surprised. Miyuki looked at him seriously.

"No." She said simply as she adjusted her sleeves irritably.

"...You... lied? About what the... Holy hell, Miyuki! You're going to get yourself killed! What if someone finds out you lied about what the Reiou says!" Isshin shouted, and Miyuki scowled at him.

"Isshin, even _I_ wouldn't have done something that drastic without something to make sure it didn't come back at me. Don't worry. The Reiou's daughter is on my side, and she has her father wrapped around her finger."

"But what if she doesn't lie for you!" Isshin demanded, and Miyuki glared at him.

"Stop shouting, you're giving me a headache. If she doesn't lie for me, then I'll be killed." Miyuki said with a shrug.

"Killed? You'd probably be handed over to Mayuri to be tortured for years before getting killed! Or worse!" Isshin shouted, and Miyuki frowned at him.

"I just told you to stop shouting, didn't I?" Miyuki sighed.

"The hell's with all the yelling?" Ichigo grumbled as he walked into the clinic part of the house, Rukia beside him.

"You're father's freaking out." Miyuki said non-chalantly.

"You lied to the Soutaicho! Of course I'm freaking out!" Isshin shouted, and Miyuki rolled her eyes.

"See? Freaking out." She said before turning her head back to Isshin. "Yes, I did. But I won't get caught. Leave it at that before we have to recruit Rukia and Ichigo into our group of secrets, all right?" Miyuki said sternly, and Isshin sighed. "Now, Ichigo..." Miyuki looked back at the confused orange haired man. "Can you take me to the Vizards? Don't worry, I'm not trying to find out their location... Soul Society isn't hunting them anymore. I just need to bring them some information. Besides, I'm old friends with Shinji."

* * *

"Shinji!" Ichigo called as he walked into the warehouse, Miyuki at his side. She was looking around with a frown, her body tense just in case she had to fight.

"Ichig-..." Shinji walked into the room and froze, blinking at Miyuki. "Miyuki! My first love!" He called cheerfully, and Miyuki smiled lightly at him as he shunpoed in front of her and Ichigo.

"Hey, Shinji. I'm back, and I got news for you guys..." She frowned, glancing subtley at Ichigo.

"Oi, Ichigo. Scram so Miyuki and I can catch up." Shinji grumbled, and Ichigo narrowed his eyes. "Go talk to the others or something." Shinji insisted.

"Whatever." Ichigo growled before stomping away.

"He's an angry human, ain't he?" Miyuki whispered to Shinji with a grin, and he rolled his eyes at her.

"What news do you have?" He asked lazily.

"Well... After I found a loop hole in Central 46's ruling, and lied about orders from the Reiou himself, you guys will no longer be hunted by Soul Society." Miyuki said, and Shinji frowned at her.

"...That was dangerous, Miyuki." Shinji said coldly.

"I know. Think of it as me making up for the last fifty-five years of leaving you all to be found by Soul Society." A number of years ago, Miyuki had been ordered to use her Bankai to find them. When she did, she listened to Urahara's explanation about what happened. After agreeing to take their side and help them out, Miyuki returned to Soul Society and outright lied to them. She said that they must have found some defense against her Bankai, because she ended up being led somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and no one was there. They bought it, and from there Miyuki continued to help them. She had known all the captains and lieutenants during her teenage days, and when they told her about Tousen, Gin, and Aizen, she had wanted to return to Soul Society and reveal who they really were.

However, Shinji talked her out of it, saying that they wouldn't take the word of 'criminals' nor her own, since she'd 'conspired' with them. "Besides, I have the Reiou's daughter on my side. I'm protected, and if she decides not to protect me... Well, then I'll be killed. However, all the captains agreed with removing the death orders, though you're still exiled."

"Well..." Shinji sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I suppose I should thank you."

"Shinji, you all can leave your personal prisons now. You're practically immortal, but at least you won't have to live forever in hiding. Get rich and buy eighteen houses or something." Miyuki shrugged, turning around and starting to leave. "And don't worry. I've got your backs again."

* * *

"Arg... I'm tired..." Miyuki whined as she laid on the sofa in the Kurosaki's living room.

"...Who are you?" Karin asked after she and Yuzu stared at Miyuki for many moments.

"A really old friend of your fathers." Miyuki mumbled into the pillow.

"Yeah. Emphasis on _really _old." Isshin whispered to his daughters with a grin.

"Screw you, Isshin!" Miyuki shouted as she yanked the pillow out from under her head and launched it at him. It hit him smack in the face and he stumbled backwards.

"Idiot." Karin grumbled as she watched her father.

"How old are you two?" Miyuki asked Karin and Yuzu curiously.

"Eleven. We're twins." Yuzu said politely.

"Really? You two look nothing alike... Ouch!" Miyuki winced.

"What's wrong?" Karin asked and Miyuki glared at Isshin.

"Nothing. I just tugged my stitches." She said with a wince.

"You should be careful." Isshin said in a patronizing tone.

"I should say the same for you." Miyuki growled irritably.

"Not nice!" Isshin whined loudly.

"How do you put up with him twenty-four-seven?" Miyuki asked, looking at the twins.

"We leave the house for as long as we can." Karin said with the utmost seriousness.

"You are all so mean!" Isshin wailed and Miyuki rolled her eyes. _Is he always like this around his family? Sheesh..._ Miyuki laid back down on the sofa with a sigh, closing her eyes.

_

* * *

_

"Miyuki... What are those?" A teenage Byakuya asked Miyuki as she drop some liquid into her eyes.

_"It's a special liquid to keep my eyes moist." Miyuki said sadly as she pocketed the small vial of liquid._

_"Why do you need that?" Byakuya inquired with a tilt of his head._

_"My father... He had Mayuri, Urahara-taicho's third seat, remove my tear gland so I can't cry... I need to use these drops every day so I don't damage my eyes from them being too dry." Miyuki said with a sad sigh._

_"I can't believe that man!" Byakuya shouted in outrage, and Miyuki jumped in surprise._

_"Byakuya, calm down... It isn't that bad..." Miyuki said softly, trying to calm her angered friend._

_"How can you say that, Miyuki? He's your father! He isn't supposed to do such horrible things to you! He's a terrible person, and you don't deserve these things to happen to you." Byakuya shouted, his voice growing soft at the end. Miyuki looked at him with eyes he knew would be filled with tears if they could be._

_"Byakuya..." Miyuki's voice broke with sorrow. Byakuya sighed before hugging Miyuki tightly as she dry sobbed._

_"I won't let him continue hurting you. I swear, Miyuki. I don't care what he does, I'll never forgive him, and I'll never treat you like he does." Byakuya vowed, his voice angry but soft._

_"Thank you, Byakuya." Miyuki sobbed into his chest._

_

* * *

_

"Byakuya, I'm sorry you didn't get the promotion." Miyuki said apologetically.

_"Don't be, Miyuki. You reached Bankai and I haven't. Of course you would be promoted." Byakuya said calmly, and Miyuki looked at him sadly._

_"I still feel bad... I can help you reach Bankai, if you want." Miyuki offered with a light smile. Byakuya simply nodded curtly at her before he looked away. Miyuki frowned, thinking he was upset until he pulled a small box that was dark blue and tied with a light blue bow._

_"A gift... To celebrate your promotion." Byakuya explained, and Miyuki looked at him with startled eyes before she took the velvet box. She sat down beside Byakuya on the small bench in the Kuchiki Manor's gardens and carefully untied the silk bow. Gently, she opened the box only to gasp in shock. She looked at Byakuya with wide eyes._

_"How... This is... beautiful..." She breathed out as she looked back at the box._

_"It's platinum... the jewel is solid amethyst." Byakuya explained as Miyuki pulled out a gorgeous necklace. It was a thick platinum chain choker with a large amethyst butterly hanging from it._

_"Oh... How much did this cost you?" Miyuki asked, her deep blue eyes still shocked._

_"That doesn't matter. I have plenty of money, we both do... Besides, you deserve it." Byakuya said as he took the necklace from her and carefully placed it around her neck, hooking it behind her head. The butterfly sat between her bust and collarbones, filling the space perfectly._

_"Byakuya..." Miyuki whispered, and they both knew her eyes would be filled with tears if it were possible. "Thank you." She said as she hugged him._

_

* * *

_

**And so the origins of the Butterfly Choker is revealed :D By the way, Byakuya really did act alot differently as a child. Just read the 'Turn Back the Pendulum' chapters of Bleach or watch the episodes. ^^ Review, please =)**


	7. Chapter 6

**Here's Chapter 6... Don't hate me for this chapter D: I promise everything turns out good!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, for the I-wish-it-were-the-last time!**

_

* * *

_

"Byakuya, I hate to ask this of you, but can I stay the night here? I need to search through Soul Society's history, and all the documents are stored here in the manor..." Miyuki had asked hesitantly.

_"...Where is Rukia?" Byakuya had asked in response._

_"She's arriving an a couple of hours. She's bringing a human friend, Orihime, with her so Rukia can help her train, so they have to pass through the dimension. Ukitake-taicho is clearing it as we speak so they can travel through safely." Miyuki answered with a sigh._

_"...Very well. You know where the documents are held... You will stay in the same guest room you used to." Byakuya had said after several moments, his expression unchanging._

_"Oh, thank you." Miyuki let out a sigh of relief._

One night turned into one week. Now Miyuki was sitting in the records room with scattered candles for light as she read through the many scrolls. "What exactly are you looking for?" Byakuya inquired as he looked in on her. Miyuki yawned widely before replying.

"I'm not entirely sure. I'll know it when I see it." Miyuki answered honestly. "Don't worry, I'll putting everything back in the exact place I found it... The sorting system in here is pretty complex. By category, days, eras... It must have taken a lot of work to set everything up..." Miyuki mused as she looked around the room. She was wearing a purple kimono that matched the amethyst butterfly choker she wore. The kimono was silk with dark purple flowers embroidered elegantly into the kimono so they blended in while at the same time sticking out. The kimono was bordered by white silk, and held together by a dark purple obi that matched her hair color.

"Indeed..." Byakuya said stoicly as Miyuki scanned the scroll she held. Suddenly, her head snapped up and she locked Byakuya in her gaze.

"Is that tea I smell?" She asked, staring at the cups he held hungrily.

"Yes." Byakuya said emotionlessly as he set the cups on the table, carefully avoiding the scrolls she'd laid out on it.

"Byakuya, if I weren't afraid you'd blow me up with Kido, I'd hug you for this." Miyuki said as she grabbed the tea and sipped it. "Ah... Wonderful."

"Hn..." Byakuya sipped his tea as well as he settled on the cushion opposite of Miyuki.

"So, what brings the Head of the Kuchiki Clan to my humble, temporary, dark corner of the Manor?" Miyuki inquired with a frown.

"Now that you have returned... Do you intend on continuing your past illegal activities?" Byakuya asked calmly, and Miyuki looked at him with an amused expression.

"Now, now... I thought the Head of the Kuchiki Clan would know better then to delve into the buisness of other Noble Houses." Miyuki teased him as she sipped the tea.

"I am not asking as the Head of the Kuchiki Clan." Byakuya said, his expression and voice void of all emotion. Miyuki frowned at him lightly, her teasing expression immediatly turning seriously.

"Well, that changes things. If by criminal activities you mean protecting others from the law, then yes... I have every intention of continuing that now that I've returned, and I've already begun to." Miyuki answered honestly and seriously.

"Then I have a request." Byakuya began, but Miyuki cut him off.

"I already am." She said, sipping her tea.

"Am what?" Byakuya asked without emotion.

"Please, Byakuya. Don't treat me like a fool, for I am far from one. I've known you since you were ten years old. I can read you like I can read this scroll." Miyuki said, raising the scroll up pointedly. "Rukia is already under my protection."

"...And just what is it you are protecting her from?" Byakuya inquired coldly.

"Now, now, Byakuya..." Miyuki said with equal coldness. "If I just handed out that information, I wouldn't be doing a very good job, would I? Don't worry about what she's being protected from, Byakuya. Just bear in mind that she's your sister, and for that reason, I would do anything to protect her. You're family is like my own family, and I will protect my family."

"And your father?" Byakuya inquired emotionlessly.

"Oh, I protect him as well. But only because if he goes down for his disgusting crimes, he would take my innocent family down with him. However, I've also made it clear to him that if he does anything else illegal, I would make quick work of him and make it a very natural death." Miyuki said calmly.

"How would you achieve that?"

"Simple. I use Mirarame to give him a terrible dream that scares him so bad it gives him a heart attack. I've thought this through, you know." Miyuki said as she sipped her tea.

"So it seems." Byakuya said dryly.

"You know as well as I do that I don't make threats that I can't follow through on. And I have every intention of doing just that if he crosses the line..." She said before narrowing her eyes with slight sadness. "And there was a time that you would have been more then willing to assist."

"What makes you believe I am not still?" Byakuya asked without emotion, and Miyuki frowned at him.

"I believe you called me unworthy of your presence previously." Miyuki pointed out calmly.

"I recall it was unworthy of you viewing my emotions." Byakuya pointed out with equal calmness.

"Hm. Perhaps it was..." She mused thoughtfully. "Oh well. Maybe I was wrong."

"Which reminds me of the question I asked you during that conversation. How many times have you used Bankai in the past year?"

"Three times. I haven't needed to use it often while in the Royal Guard." Miyuki said as she looked back at her scroll.

"Have your other skills increased?" Byakuya questioned without emotion.

"Nope. Still can't do much Kido, and my fighting skills aren't the best. My swordsmanship is better, but not by very much. I still have to rely on my speed and my illusions." Miyuki answered honestly without looking up. "I'm glad, Byakuya."

"About what?" Byakuya inquired emotionlessly.

"That you still have a heart." Miyuki sighed, looking up from the scroll to meet his calm eyes. "Do you realize that if Hisana could, she would slap you for how you've acted since she died? I've talked to Ukitake-taicho about how you've acted and continued to act. You're a fool if you think she would want you acting this way."

"Do you not act the same way?" Byakuya countered calmly.

"Of course I do." Miyuki said with amusement. "Who would listen and obey the orders of a bumbling fool? I know when to act like myself and when to act like I was raised to, Byakuya... Seeing as I'm here as liason from the Royal Family, I'd say now is the time to be acting serious. Don't you agree?" Miyuki said with a light smile as she sipped her tea.

"Did you believe our relationship in the past was more then just friendship to you?" Byakuya inquired, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. _He must be referring to the conversation we had two months ago before Rukia and I went to the Human World..._

"Byakuya..." She began, serious again. "You've not been merely a friend to me since we were teenagers. It's been a hundred and eleven years since I last thought of you as a mere friend." Miyuki answered icily, suddenly feeling very defensive.

"I see." Byakuya said calmly before standing.

"Later." Miyuki said lazily as she turned to her scroll, sipping her tea silently as Byakuya left the room. Despite her outward nonchalance towards his response, her heart felt like it was just stomped on.

"Why did I just pass a very irritated Nii-sama on my way here?" Rukia asked as she walked into the room.

"Oh! Hey." Miyuki looked up and smiled at Rukia despite her sadness. "Don't worry about him. He's just a little prickly because I told him I'd be staying here a while yet unless I find the dang information I'm looking for." Miyuki lied easily. It came second hand to her after so many years of lies followed by more lies. "How's Orihime?"

"Oh... She's okay. I managed to teach her to use the first Hado spell." Rukia said with a shrug.

"That's good. She'll be the first human to ever learn any Kido." Miyuki said with a smile.

"Yeah." Rukia laughed lightly. "Have you had any luck?"

"No. There are way too many scrolls here." Miyuki sighed, folding her arms across her chest.

"Can I help at all?" Rukia asked tenatively. _She's probably still uncomfortable with not treating me with respect. The Kuchiki Elders are bastards for making her act this way._

"Uh... Well, actually... Could you get some of the servants to make me some food? Usually I do it myself, but I've been too busy with this..." Miyuki sighed as she lifted the scroll she was scanning.

"Don't worry about it. Nii-sama already told one of them to make you something." Rukia said as she sat on the cushion Byakuya had previously occupied. "Miyuki... You said before that your father was a horrible person. Is that why Nii-sama hates him so much?"

"To correct you, I called him a bastard. And yes, it is. I told you before that Byakuya and I used to be extremely close, though I was never more then a friend to him. He knows everything about me and my childhood. The best, and the worst... My father happens to be the center of most of those worst things in my life. Byakuya happens to blame him for that, and rightfully so. Anyways..." Miyuki rolled her shoulders to ease the muscles.

* * *

"Impossible..." Miyuki whipsered as she stared at the scroll in her hands, her deep blue eyes wide. She stood up abruptly, setting down the scroll, and walked quickly out of the room.. She hurried down the halls until she reached the garden which seperated the Head family's houses from the rest of the manor. Miyuki walked through the garden, the garden covered in darkness due to it being the middle of the night with no lights nearby. Suddenly aware of how alone she was in the garden, Miyuki looked around warily. In the split second Miyuki left herself unprotected, a blade went right through her chest.

Miyuki's eyes flew wide with shock, but no noise escaped her lips. The blade slashed down as it was pulled out of her from behind, leaving a foot long gash down her back and chest. Miyuki fell to the ground, landing on her chest. She stared to the side, her cheek pressed into the earth due to how she landed, and her body flat against the ground. "Sorry, Miyuki. I really hoped you wouldn't realize it. You just got too close..." The voice of Miyuki's attacker said, their voice sounding truely remorseful, and then the attacker fled. Miyuki laid there, unmoving, as blood pooled around her from the fatal wound that had jsut been delivered.

She felt her blood pounding in her ears as her heart beated frantically. _Mirarame..._ Miyuki called weakly to her Zanpakuto, but there was no response. _Even you know I'm about to die... That's why you're silent... You've left me..._ Miyuki thought sadly as her eyelids started to droop, her crimson lifeforce forming a growing puddle around her. _So then... Am I going to die alone...?_ Miyuki wondered, her slowing heart aching with sorrow. Suddenly, defiance filled Miyuki. _No... Even if I'm just speeding up my death, like hell will I fall without telling them what I found_. She thought as she put her hands under her and pushed up.

She slipped on the blood, on her blood, but managed to climb to her feet after several tries. Her feet dragged across the stone and earth as she walked forward with sluggish movement. Her entire back and chest were soaked with her own blood from the long gash that cut right through her chest, missing her heart by mere centimeters. Finally, after three minutes of struggling, she reached the place she was trying to get to. _...Shit..._ Miyuki thought as she fell forward just outside the door and hit the floor with a loud thud... and she couldn't get back up. She'd lost too much blood, and her body was trembling badly as her heart started to slow.

With the small amount of strength she had, she flared her reiatsu as much as she could. However, in her weakened state, it wasn't even half the strength her reiatsu usually was. _Please... Please have been enough to wake him..._ Miyuki thought desperately as she flared her reiatsu a second time. She didn't have the strength to do it a third time. She'd lost too much blood, and her darkening eyesight told her she was losing her conciousness as well. Just as she was about to give into the darkness, the door slid open.

"Miyuki!" Byakuya's eyes widened with surprise as he knelt down beside her. Miyuki's lips moved as though she were speaking, but no sound came from them. Byakuya leaned forward so his ear hovered over her lips, and his eyes widened once more and he sat up straight. He quickly rolled her onto her back, her head facing his direction. He pulled his haori off his shoulders and bundled it up, pressing it against her chest as it bled heavily. Her chest heaved with each sharp breath she took. Byakuya looked around quickly, cursing under his breath when he realized no one was around. "Miyuki, I will be right back. Stay awake until I return." Byakuya said sharply, and Miyuki knew he really meant 'stay alive' until he returned. She blinked at him in acceptance and he shunpoed away.

_Alone again..._ Miyuki thought as she heaved for air, excruciating pain filling her body with every chest movement. _Am I... really about to die...? Is it... really over...?_ Miyuki felt her conciousness slipping. _I don't... want to die alone... Please..._ Miyuki plead silently as the darkness continued to slowly creep across her eyesight. Suddenly, over the slowing beat of her heart echoing in her ears, she heard a gasp. "Maruyama-san!" Orihime's voice yelped in alarm before suddenly, an orange glow covered Miyuki's body. Miyuki stared to the side, unable to move from the position Byakuya had found her in, her face turned to look at the doorway.

Byakuya knelt in the doorway leading to his room and looked at Miyuki intently. His expression was blank, though his eyes betrayed a minimal amount of worry. _I'm only worth... a little worry.. to you, eh...?_ Miyuki thought as her eyesight continued to darken slower then before. Miyuki weakly lifted her hand towards Byakuya with sluggish movement due to her excessive blood loss. As her hand passed through the orange glow, Byakuya reached up and took her hand, grasping it gently. _Too gently... He wants to give me some comfort before I die..._ She blinked her eyes slowly at him, knowing that he knew it meant thank you. Then, she closed her eyes... All she could do is pray she would open them again.

* * *

Miyuki slowly opened her eyes to darkness, aware of an excruciating pain in her chest, though it hurt noticeably less then before. She was also aware of a chill, realizing the pain was so bad that she was sweating from the effort of holding in the pain. As the darkness faded from shrouding her eyes, she realized she was still covered by an orange glow, but Byakuya was no where to be found. Slowly, Miyuki turned her head without moving any other part of her body, and looked at the source of the glow. "Orihime..." Miyuki murmured, her voice rough and strained from pain.

"Please, Maruyama-san, rest... I've only been doing this for an hour, you've still got at least another two hours before I'm done healing you..." Orihime said gently, and Miyuki swallowed thickly due to the pain before speaking again.

"Where's... Byakuya?" Miyuki breathed out in a tense voice.

"He just left to get Unohana-sama. He wouldn't leave until I was certain your life wasn't in immediate danger anymore." Orihime said with a worried smile, and Miyuki turned her head to stare straight at the sky. Her eyes were half shut as they scrunched against the pain that was tearing through her body.

"How... healed am... I?" Miyuki asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"About thirty percent..." Orihime answered as she concentrated on healing.

"Orihime..." Miyuki said after several minutes of silence, gaining the orange haired girls attention. "My... necklace... Please, remove it... It's making it... difficult to breathe..." Miyuki lied easily, so perfectly that Orihime didn't even think twice. She lowered the healing barrier as she reached forward and carefully twisted the choker so she could reach the latch. Pulling on it, she unlocked the choker and pulled it away, surprised by how heavy the beautiful piece of jewelry was. Immediatly after Orihime had pulled her hands away, Miyuki had struggled to her feet.

"Maruyama-san! Please, don't move, you'll hurt yourself further!" Orihime protested in alarm, but Miyuki ignored her.

"Orihime... Tell him that I've never lied to him... And that I never did take it off until now." Miyuki said, her eyes locked on the beautiful necklace in Orihime's hands. "Please... tell him not to come after me... I would rather die then hurt him, but if I have to... I will." Miyuki whispered before she opened a doorway to the Human World using a Hell Butterfly she had instantly summoned.

"Who...?" Orihime asked in confusion before the doors closed behind Miyuki, and the gate dissapeared. The door reopened just outside Urahara's shop, and Miyuki stepped out with the Hell Butterfly beside her. Immediatly, Miyuki drew her sword and destroyed the butterfly. She slipped the blade in the sheath that was attached to Miyuki's forearm, then staggered into the shop. Her breathed was heavy, her body caked in blood and sweat. Tessai, who had been just inside the shop, caught her as she fell, collapsing into his arms.

"Miyuki?" Tessai gasped in alarm at the blood covering her. "Urahara! Emergency!" Tessai shouted loudly as he scooped Miyuki into his arms and ran further into the shop with her.

"Don't... let them... find me..." Miyuki whispered as Tessai carried her.

"Don't let who find you?" Urahara demanded as he ran to her side. "Set her down here, Tessai." He ordered, and Miyuki felt herself get lowered onto a bed of some sort.

"Seireitei..." Miyuki breathed out, wincing.

"Tessai, get Yoruichi..." Urahara instructed and the man ran out of the room. "Miyuki, why is Seireitei after you? Did they do this?"

"They... didn't... They don't know... anything." Miyuki hissed at the pain in her body. "They might... come looking for me... I left without... permission. They can't know... I'm here..." She said between breaths.

"What happened?" Yoruichi asked as she and Tessai ran back into the room.

"Tessai, please." Urahara said and Tessai knelt beside Miyuki, putting his hands on her chest. The glowed green and began to slowly heal her, and Miyuki looked at him with a grateful expression.

"What happened?" Yoruichi repeated, only tihs time her words were directed at Miyuki.

"I was attacked..." Miyuki said, her voice barely above a whisper she was so exhausted from all the blood loss.

"We figured that one out on our own. By who?" Yoruichi demanded, but Miyuki's eyes merely slipped shut as she lost conciousness once more.

* * *

When Miyuki awoke again, she was more then happy to feel completely back to normal, minus a dull ache in her chest and back. "Shit... Ow..." Miyuki winced as she sat up in the sleeping mat, her long purple hair falling loosely around her.

"You shouldn't be moving. Tessai's good, but he isn't a miracle worker." Urahara said calmly from where he sat against the wall.

"Does Yoruichi know you have a habit of watching poor, innocent girls sleep?" Miyuki teased him lightly, though her voice was stressed.

"Hey, now..." Urahara whined, but Miyuki ignored him. "Where is your necklace?"

"I'm not returning." Miyuki said tightly, having tensed at his words. "I need a gigai. One that will completely hide me from Soul Society..." Miyuki said seriously, looked at Urahara.

"Oh...? Well, I have the perfect thing." Urahara said, suddenly whipping out a gigai from behind him. Miyuki frowned in irritation at Urahara, since he was always one step ahead of her.

"Will it keep me untrackable?" Miyuki asked, narrowing her eyes.

"To the extreme. It will basically turn you human while you're inside it. You'll have a heartbeat, bones, blood... However, it'll keep your spiritual power strong but hidden perfectly. Still, you'll be able to leave it easily. Keep this on you at all times when you're outside the gigai." Urahara instructed, tossing a black cloak at her. Miyuki caught it easily, frowning.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"Reiatsu supresssion cloak. It will hide your spiritual pressure so long as you wear it, even when you're fighting with it on. Don't ever leave your gigai without this. You should be able to enter your gigai without a problem while wearing this on your spirit, as well." Urahara explained.

"Wow... It's almost like you were prepared for this." Miyuki said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"Well, there was always a chance we would have to go into hiding again." Urahara said calmly, and Miyuki glared at him.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever, Urahara." Miyuki stood up, ignoring the pain in her chest, and pulled the black cloak over her body.

"Where will you go?" Urahara asked as he stood up, offering her the Gigai.

"I don't know. Far away from here. This is the first place they'll look." Miyuki said before she entered the Gigai. She shook Urahara off her and frowned.

"Yes, I suppose so. In fact, they will likely come soon. You've been unconcious two days. It's a wonder they haven't come already. Be careful while in your gigai. Like I said, it basically renders you human temporarily without depleteing your reiatsu." Urahara said and Miyuki nodded.

"I know." Miyuki sighed, walking out of the room with Urahara behind her.

"Also, the Human World is quite a bit different then Soul Society. Try not to stick out too much." He said with amusement, and Miyuki growled in irritation.

"I know this as well, Urahara. I won't be visiting nor will I be communicating at all with you once I step out that door. I refuse to drag you down with me." Miyuki said seriously, and Urahara looked at her with a frown.

"Why exactly is Seireitei after you?" He asked her sternly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"They aren't. At least, they shouldn't be yet. However, they will be soon... My enemy is a manipulative bastard who is very good at falsifying evidence. No doubt he'll have all of Seireitei hunting me down like I killed the Reiou." Miyuki said with a sigh. "Don't get caught up in this mess, Urahara. And if it comes to that, then pick their side. I'd rather not fight you, especially since you can fight my powers, but I'd much prefer that over you all signing your own death warrants."

"As you wish, Miyuki." Urahara said with a bow, and Miyuki rolled her eyes at his antics. "However, in turn... You have to do me a favor."

"What favor?" Miiyuki asked him suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing much... Just take care of this lovely semi-human here!" Urahara chirped as a teenage girl with black hair and dark, brownish red eyes walked into the room.

* * *

***Sigh.* Don't hate me? :( I kind of had fun writing this chapter, actually. Well, maybe not fun, but I was proud of myself after I finished it. I never was able to detail things very well, so I was worried this chapter was going to be bad. In my opinion, it isn't too bad. Please review ^^**


	8. Chapter 7

**Bleh... Time skip. The next two chapters go by fairly quick, but like I said before, this is a story I wrote for my own entertainment without really intending to post it here. If I had intended to, I would have worked harder on it. Read & Review, please.**

**Disclaimer: No, in the past 120 seconds, I did NOT suddenly gain ownership of Bleach. It still isn't mine D:**

* * *

Two years passed, and Miyuki found herself on an island far off the coast of Japan named Okinawa. She had settled there with the teenager named Mayumi. Mayumi was a human girl with a strange ability that was similar to a Quincy's, but she was most definately not one. She used a regular bow and arrow, but she was able to manipulate Reiryoku to empower the arrow and do damage similar to a Quincy. Miyuki and Mayumi posed as sisters, Miyuki being older then her. Miyuki had let her hair grow over the years, and now it reached her calf it was so long. She had also died it black and wore dark crimson contacts as both a disguise and to resemble Mayumi.

She worked two jobs so she could afford the apartment she and Mayumi stayed in, while Mayumi simply went to school and had a job on the weekends. Miyuki wore black lace-up boots that almost reached her knees, black fingerless gloves that didn't stretch past her wrists, and very short jean shorts that didn't even reach her mid thigh with a black bent around it. She had a black belly shirt that reached just under her bust, and had three thin straps holding it up on each shoulder. Around her neck was a black choker with a small cross hanging from it. She was walking around the apartment, her long black hair tied in a low ponytail, when she suddenly snapped her head up to look wide eyed at the ceiling.

She whipped out her cell phone, quickly texting 'Don't come home.' to Mayumi before she tossed it aside. She snatched a sword up as she walked quickly out of the apartment and towards the roof. The sword was long, about the size of a regular katana, with a long crimson sheath and a black handle. She quite literally kicked the door leading to the roof open, drawing her sword as she did, and quickly jumped forward. She swung it at the person on the roof, holding the sheath in one hand and the blade in the other, only for the person to parry it with their own sword. Miyuki leapt backwards, flipping in the air before landing in a crouch many feet away from the man.

"I haven't seen your Zanpakuto in that form in an extremely long time." The person, a man, mused emotionlessly.

"Because it hasn't been in this form since our days in the Academy... Or at least, it's never been in this form in front of anyone but myself. Surely Orihime would have told you what I said to her?" Miyuki demanded, narrowing her crimson eyes.

"She did..." The man said, narrowhing his eyes as well.

"Tch. Let me guess, you were ordered to come after me?" Miyuki asked, and he gave a curt nod. "Figures. You ignore my only request of you so you can followed orders given on lies." Miyuki spat angrily. "How did you find me?"

"It was impossible until we realized you had a companion. We merely tracked her... She is being dealt with as we speak." The man said, and Miyuki's eyes widened.

"What?" She gasped, taking a moment to compose herself quickly. "It was low of them to send you of all people, Byakuya."

"I did not give you permission to call me by that name." Byakuya said calmly and coldly, stoic as ever. Miyuki looked at him, her eyes softening with emotion.

"So... Why am I being hunted?" Miyuki asked, her voice soft and almost sad. Byakuya frowned so slightly it went unnoticed as he felt confused for a moment before replying.

"Murdering your younger sister and father. As well as stealing numerous documents from the Kuchiki Manor... Offences punishable by death." Byakuya said, watching as Miyuki's eyes widened with pure shock.

"Amaya... She's dead...?" Miyuki asked, her voice shaking with sadness.

"Yes. You killed her... You were injured by her blade. That is where you recieved your wounds that night." Byakuya said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously as tears slipped from her eyes. "How is it you cry?" _That bastard... He killed my baby sister and almost killed me with her sword... How unbelieveably cruel, even for him..._

"That doesn't matter." Miyuki spat as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks with the back of her gloved hand, the one which held her blade's sheathe. _I'm still not sure if I'm happy or sad that I can cry in this gigai._ "How did... How did she die?"

"You would know." Byakuya said coldly, and Miyuki glared at him hatefully. His eyes widened a notch at the fiercness of her anger, surprised as she had never looked at him that way.

"How dare you, Byakuya! How can you be so _blind_! I loved my sister more then my own life! Why would I take hers..?" Miyuki asked, her voice breaking with sorrow at the end as more tears slid down her cheeks. She furiously brushed them away.

"The evidence is clear." Byakuya said coldly, and Miyuki shook her head, her face going blank.

"The evidence is false. If you wish the truth, then tell Hime that the Great Tree has lost it's Glory." Miyuki said softly.

"What do you mean?" Byakuya demanded icily, stoic as ever.

"Do it and you'll find out." Miyuki said simply before she stepped out of her gigai, the body falling limply to the ground. "Blind, Mirarame." She called, her sword shrinking to a small tanto. Immediatly, she created an illusion of her standing in place when she really shunpoed behind Byakuya. She quickly delivered a quick blow to the back of his neck with the sheath of her Zanpakuto, and he fell forward unconcious. Miyuki looked down at him regrettfully before she walked over and returned to her gigai, her Zanpakuto's shikai immediatly dissapearing as all her reiatsu was firmly surpressed. She gripped the black hilt of the once-more long katana in one hand, gripping the long crimson sheathe in her other.

Immediatly she jumped off the roof of her apartment, thankful that they each apartment was a seperate building so hers was only one story, and landed easily before she took off running.

* * *

Miyuki jumped between Mayumi and Hitsugaya, holding her blade and sheathe so they parried his sword, which had been about to strike Mayumi, in a manner that basically trapped his blade. "Miyuki!" Mayumi exclaimed in surprise.

"You're Miyuki?" Hitsugaya asked, his voice betraying his surprise.

"Mayumi, get out of here. Now." Miyuki instructed sternly. Mayumi had black hair that reached just barely past her butt, and brownish red eyes.

"What? But Miyuki-" Mayumi began to protest, but Miyuki glared harshly over her shoulder at her.

"Now! You are a human, Mayumi, and you don't have your weapon with you. You'd just be a distraction, now get the hell out of here. Don't go to our home..." Miyuki hissed urgently, and Mayumi's eyes widened at the sight of tears on her face.

"A-all right..." Mayumi stammered before she turned and ran away.

"Be careful!" Miyuki called after her before she snapped her head around to stare at Hitsugaya. She leapt backwards, releasing his sword as she pulled her sheathe and blade along with her. She landed on her feet and Hitsugaya took a few steps back.

"That was a foolish mistake. You had me at a stale mate until you released me." Hitsugaya said icily, and Miyuki smiled weakly at him.

"Forgive me. I was just informed that my baby sister was murdered and that I did it. You'd think I would know these things, yes?" Miyuki said, her voice tired and slightly sad. Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her. "All right, Toushiro. You've never been able to win in a fight against me. This time won't be any different, so how about we talk with our mouths instead of with our blades?" Miyuki offered as she sheathed her sword calmly, holding the blade by its sheath in one hand.

"How do I know this isn't an illusion?" Hitsugaya demanded suspiciously.

"Because I just sheathed my sword?" Miyuki suggested, looking at him like he was an idiot.

"That could have been an illusion. I've never seen your sword look like that before." Hitsugaya pointed out icily.

"Well, since you're convinced this is all an illusion... Then if this is an illusion, you're trapped in my world until I release you, there fore you have already lost. I haven't knocked you out yet, so how about you just give me the benefit of the doubt. Besides, if you're in my illusion, then being on guard wouldn't make a damn bit of difference." Miyuki said impatiently as she sat down on a large stone. She had found Hitsugaya and Mayumi in a clearing in the nearby forest. Hitsugaya slowly lowered his sword, though he didn't sheathe it.

"How do you have your Zanpakuto in a gigai?" Hitsugaya asked calmly, and Miyuki shrugged.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just special like that." Miyuki said with a light smile. "So let me get this straight. I killed my father and my baby sister, and she nearly killed me trying to stop me from killing her. That's the story, right?"

"Yes..." Hitsugaya said suspiciously.

"Ah. Well, I guess he hasn't lost his touch. He always was damn good at framing people..." Miyuki mused quietly to herself.

"What?" Hitsugaya asked, looking confused.

"Oh, nothing." Miyuki waved a hand dismissively at him, knowing he didn't hear her words. "Since you guys are after me, I assume that the Royal Guard has gotten involved?"

"No. The Hime is refusing to allow anyone to hunt you, because she's convinced you aren't guilty. You're lucky you have friends in high places, Miyuki." Hitsugaya said with a small snarl.

"Don't give me that, Toushiro... Anyways, why are you guys coming after me, then? You don't have the jurisdiction to arrest me, as I am above the Captain-Commander due to my standing in the Royal Guard."

"That's where you are wrong. While they aren't hunting you, they did expell you from their ranks." Hitsugaya said icily, and Miyuki looked at him with a surprised expression.

"Really? I've never heard of that ever happening before. I mean, there's retireing, but being expelled from their ranks means death... But then again, that's what you guys were here to give me, right?" Miyuki guessed, sounding slightly amused.

"Where is Kuchiki?" Hitsugaya asked suddenly, narrowing his eyes.

"Probably on his way here... Which means, I have to leave here." Miyuki sighed, standing up again. Immediatly, Hitsugaya lifted his sword into a defensive position. "Oh, calm down. I'm just going to turn around and follow after Mayumi, and you are going to let me."

"Why would I do that?" Hitsugaya demanded coldly, and Miyuki looked at him with an icy stare.

"Because I can draw my blade and put you under and illusion quicker then you can raise your sword by just an inch... Good bye, Hitsugaya-taicho." Miyuki said, calling him by his last name for the first time. She turned around and calmly walked away, and Hitsugaya didn't follow.

* * *

"Come on, Mayumi. They're going to be giving chase any minute." Miyuki ushered the human teenager.

"We could move faster if you left your gigai and carried me while you shunpoed..." Mayumi grumbled as she picked up the pace, running alongside Miyuki.

"I can't do that. They would find the gigai and realize Urahara helped us." Miyuki explained, glancing over her shoulder as she ran.

"How'd they find us to begin with?" Mayumi asked worriedly.

"We got careless. They realized I had a companion, and they started searching for you." Miyuki said with equal worry, and Mayumi frowned.

"How could they have possibly realized you had a companion?" Mayumi asked, confusion evident in her voice. Miyuki froze, slowing to a complete stop as her eyes widened with realization. Mayumi stumbled forward a few feet before she realized Miyuki had stopped and slowed to a halt as well. "What is it?"

"Damn." Miyuki cursed, narrowing her eyes. Due to her noble upbringing, she never cursed, not even in her thoughts. However, after staying in the human world for long enough, she began cursing. It was rare, but she did so. "Someone must have told them. The only ones who knew were Urahara, Yoruichi, Tessai, and the two kids... Which means, either the kids were tricked into saying, or... Or Urahara had to pick sides. If it was the kids, then Urahara and the others are likely in trouble."

"What are we going to do?" Mayumi asked worriedly, bitting her lip. "We can't abandon them after all the help they've given us... You, mostly." Miyuki sighed, looking up at the sky.

"Are they near?" Miyuki asked. Mayumi was the only one who could use even the slightest bit of reiatsu, since the gigai Miyuki had supressed almost all of hers.

"Not yet." Mayumi answered immediatly, and Miyuki sighed again.

"I don't know, Mayumi... They'll probably be waiting for us there, regardless of whether Urahara is in trouble or not." Miyuki said hesitantly.

"So what? We're going to just leave them?" Mayumi growled, and Miyuki adjusted her fingerless gloves as she thought.

"...What do you want to do, Mayumi? Keep in mind that if we get there and it's a trap... If you get caught, you will be killed. Or worse, you'll be sent to Kurosutchi as an experiment because of your abilities." Miyuki explained with a very serious expression. Mayumi became like a sister to her over the last two years, and she would risk her life if Mayumi was going to.

"I... I owe them, Miyuki. And so do you. I'm going to go, with or without you." Mayumi said determindly. Miyuki eyed her carefully in silence for many moments before giving a curt nod.

"Then we need to start moving." Miyuki said as she began to slip her sheathed sword between her belt and her short jeans. The guard of the blade prevented the sword from going all the way through, so it would work temporarily.

"You are upset, Miyuki." Mayumi noted as they began running towards the near by airport.

"Yeah, I am." Miyuki admitted calmly.

"Why?"

"...Daiki killed my father and baby sister... he's the one who wounded me that night, using her blade so that it looked like I killed her and was wounded by her fighting back. Apparently, the Royal Guard removed me from their ranks, but they aren't hunting me down... Just opening the door so Soul Society can." Miyuki sighed sadly. "Let's hurry up before they give chase."

* * *

"You see? This is why I didn't want to come here." Miyuki said as she turned on Mayumi.

"Well, we didn't know they would be here." Mayumi hissed in irritation.

"I told you they probably would me!" Miyuki growled back lowly.

"Stop blaming me! You're the one who followed me!" Mayumi pointed out angrily.

"Oh yes, because if I let you go alone, they _wouldn't_ be here waiting for you?" Miyuki snapped, and Mayumi lowered her gaze shamefully. She knew it was her fault, she just didn't want to admit it to herself. Miyuki sighed, folding her arms across her chest. "All right... They're headed here..." Miyuki left her gigai, the body dropping to the ground. Bending down, Miyuki snatched her sword from the gigai's belt. She wore the same outfit she wore in the gigai, only her body was covered by a black cloak.

"What are you doing?" Mayumi asked in confusion.

"Take this." Miyuki insisted as she offered her the gigai. "Hide it, got it?"

"But they can track me!" Mayumi protested as she took the light body. Immediatly, Miyuki had removed the cloak and draped it over Mayumi.

"Not anymore they can't. Now go and hide the body. Then find Urahara... Even if he's joined their side, he'll protect _you_. Don't worry about me. They can't catch me unless I let them." Miyuki said with a wink and a smile.

"Are you going to let them?" Mayumi asked worriedly but Miyuki was already turned around and drawing her Zanpakuto.

"Go find out what's going on with Urahara." Miyuki instructed, and Mayumi hesitantly turned and ran away. Miyuki irritably poked herself in the eyes, popping out her contact lenses. "Things are worthless now..." She murmured as she flicked the clear lenses off her fingers and to the ground. Calmly, she reached into the pocket of the shorts she was wearing and pulled out a small vial of liquid. Leaning her head back, she dripped the liquid into her eyes, blinking furiously at the contact. She slipped the vial back into her pocket and then drew her Zanpakuto the rest of the way, sensing that two captains were approaching her.

She closed her deep blue eyes softly before murmuring the words, "Bankai, Munrame." The blade shimmered fiercly before it dissapeared completely. _Might as well make this worthwhile... Since it will be the last time I ever use it._ Miyuki thought calmly. She knew that because of how powerful her Bankai was, it had severe drawbacks and a single limitation. That limitation was... If she used the Bankai too many times, it would kill her. _Let's see... What do I wish for... Ah._ She thought with a small frown.

_I wish for him to be exposed after my execution._ Miyuki thought softly. _That way they will know I didn't use my powers to get out of my crimes... They will know the truth. All of it._ And with that, her Bankai faded, the illusion becoming a reality, but not yet. Miyuki fell forward, landing in a crouch, and her Zanpakuto fell to the ground beside her. Her breathing was heavy and she was basically panting quietly from exhaustion, her body trembling. "How foolish of you." A cold voice said as a delicate hand reached down and grasped her Zanpakuto, taking the sheathe as well and sliding the blade into it.

"Missed you too, Soifon." Miyuki said dryly, stareing at the ground as she knelt, too weak to move.

"Disgusting." Soifon said icily as another person dropped down beside her.

"She used her Bankai." Hitsugaya noted aloud.

"For what? What did you use your Bankai for?" Soifon demanded, kicking Miyuki in her ribs. Miyuki fell onto her side from weakness, not hurting much from her blow.

"To make sure my ward escapes your unforgiving fools." Miyuki spat out a lie before she fell unconcious.

_

* * *

_

"Who are you?" Miyuki asked, narrowing her deep blue eyes at the stranger in front of her.

_"My name is Daiki. I'm a servant here." The man explained with a gentle smile. He had ocean blue eyes and long blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail._

_"Ah... They have servants here? Are they forced to stay here?" Miyuki inquired with interest as she stepped forward._

_"No. We're welcome to leave this realm whenever we please, so long as we are trusted not to spill the secrets of this place." He said with a teasing wink._

_"Haha. I guess that would make sense... Oh, I'm Miyuki." She said politely with a smile._

_"It's a pleasure to meet you." He took the hand she'd offered him and kissed her knuckles instead of shaking it. Miyuki let out a small laugh before he released her hand. "So you're a member of the Guard?"_

_"Yes, I am." Miyuki confirmed with a nod._

_"What division were you the head of?" He asked curiously._

_"The Tenth. I ended up leaving my Third seat in charge of the division, since my lieutenant was too lazy to achieve Bankai in time." She said with a lightly teasing tone._

_"Ah, I see. How long were you captain?" Daiki questioned, tilting his head to the side slightly._

_"Eighteen years. The only reason I was given this seat is because of how powerful my Zanpakuto is." Miyuki admitted with a sigh._

_"What does your Zanpakuto do?" Daiki asked with a curious expression._

_"Ah, I can't say. Instructions from the Reiou." Miyuki said apologetically._

_"Oh well. I'll live without knowing." Daiki said with a teasing wink._

* * *

**And so the culprit is revealed! By the way, Daiki can mean either 'Great Tree' or 'Great Glory'. Too bad it's totally impossible for anyone to talk to the Reiou's daughter. If only Miyuki realized this! -shakes fist- xD Review, please.**


	9. Chapter 8

**Aw! Miyuki's been captured! D: Read and find out what happens, then review on it :3**

**Disclaimer: Gah! No, I don't own Bleach. Nor will I ever, cause I'm broke and my drawing skills suck. xD**

_

* * *

_

"Daiki..." Miyuki sighed softly at the blonde haired man who was looking at her with a crushed expression. "I'm sorry."

_"Why can't you, Miyuki? What's stopping you from loving me too?" He asked softly, his ocean blue eyes sad._

_"My heart already loves someone else, Daiki... As much as I want to get over him, my heart won't let me..."_

_"So you'll break my heart just like someone broke yours? All becuase you can't get over that very person!" Daiki shouted, and Miyuki blinked in surprise at his tone._

_"Daiki, why can't you understand? My heart belongs to someone, and it isn't you." She snapped coldly, turning around. However, before she could, Daiki grabbed her arms and jerked her to face him. "Release me this instant, Daiki." Miyuki said sternly._

_"No! You're regret doing this to me, Miyuki. I'll make damn sure of it." Daiki spat as he dug his nails into her skin before shoving her roughly away from him. She fell backwards, catching herself before she hit the ground, and quickly flipped back to her feet to find Daiki had dissapeared. A few hours later, she was informed that he'd quit his life as a servant and left._

Miyuki opened her eyes, staring up at the cieling above her. She was laying flat on her back, her hands lightly grasping each other as they sat on her chest. She was in the Senzaikyu tower, the place that only the highest offenders were held before their execution using the Soukyoku. With the Soukyoku destroyed, Miyuki wouldn't be killed that way, but she was still kept in the tower to ensure she couldn't escape. After all, she was ex-Royal Guard and ex-captain of the Tenth Division. Everyone was convinced she had done the crimes she was accused of, so within mere hours of arriving in Soul Society, she was sentenced to death.

Not one person visited Miyuki in the week she'd been in in the tower. Rukia had visited her in her regular cell just before she was transferred here, but she was the only one. "It is time." A cold voice said, and Miyuki turned her head to see five people in robes standing there.

"Well then, we'd best get moving." Miyuki said with a smile as she climbed to her feet.

* * *

Miyuki stood on the place of her death, looking up at the sky thoughtfully. She was watching the clouds, knowing it would be the last time she'd ever see them. Around her were the many captains of the Gotei 13, only one missing. The one spot that hadn't been filled yet. Apparently the person Komamura had thought acted like Gin took the spot as the new captain of the 3rd Division. Miyuki still didn't know his name, but the fox-like grin on his face told her Komamaru was right about him acting like Gin.

Miyuki watched the clouds drift lazily across the sky and sighed inaudibly. Most people about to face thier death would be thinking about their lives. Did they want to live longer? Did they want to die? Did they wish they had been able to do more with their lives? Did they regret doing what brought them to their death? Miyuki didn't. She had nothing to regret. She did no crime, and was being punished for it. Did she regret that? No. She understood. After all, the evidence was clear, even if it was faked.

Did she regret not living longer? No. She was quite pleased with her life. She was very successful in it. Did she regret that she would die a criminal though innocent? No. Did she regret giving herself to the people who wanted to do this? No. No, she did not regret that. She was very proud of her decision. In her decision to forfeit herself, her friends were freed from being dragged into it. The only thing about her approaching death she regretted was that she would die being scorned by the one she loved... And the only thing about her life she was regretful of was the fact that while she loved someone with every thing she had, he never even thought of her in that manner.

"Maruyama Miyumi, have you any last words before your death?" Yamamoto demanded stiffly, and Miyuki kept her eyes on the clouds, still wearing a thoughtful and calm expression.

"Yes... A single request... After my death, I ask for one thing... Byakuya." Miyuki still kept her eyes on the clouds. "Please... I want you to hang it in the palce I once talked about. Directly above the mirror... It was the most precious thing I had ever been given, and for seventy-three years I never once removed it from my person. You know the object of which I speak..." She continued to stare at the sky, her expression calm and almost... peaceful. "Also... I want everyone to remember that I never blamed you, or hated you. I knew my fate when I allowed this to occur, so don't ever think I hated you or resented you... Except you, Mayuri. You can go burn in hell." She added brightly.

"Enough." Yamamoto growled, and Miyuki knew with satisfaction that none of them understood the second half of her words. She also knew that they would once they realized she was innocent, though it would be too late then.

"Fair enough. Let's get this over with, eh? I'm sure Mayuri there is just itching to see me die." Miyuki said with a small, playful laugh. Maybe she should be more respectful in this situation, but she couldn't see it doing any good. Might as well die with a smile, right? And as the blade of the hidden executioner came at her, that was her exact plan... Until the blade turned at the last second, and instead of taking her head off... it took her arm. Miyuki's eyes flew wide as she fell backwards, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Her severed left arm landed several feet away from her, but she didn't feel anything. She didn't hear anything besides the pounding of her own heart at the pain she should be feeling. She didn't see anything besides the sky, the very thing she had yet to take her eyes off of the entire time.

_"Didn't think I'd let you go that easily, did you?"_ A voice cackled within Miyuki's mind, the only sound she heard other then her own heartbeat.

_"Dai...ki?"_ Miyuki wondered, feeling numb mentally and physically.

_"You guessed right, Miyuki-_chan_" _He sneered her name. _"How do you like the effects of my Zanpakuto? It isn't going to go away for a few hours, so you better learn to enjoy it. Sorry, babe. Looks like I got to go. These captains are pretty tough." _He laughed before Miyuki was doused in silence again. She stared blankly at the sky as the blood seeped from her shoulder where her arm once was. Though she couldn't feel it due to the overwhelming numbness, she knew from the darkening of her eyes that she was losing a dangerous amount of blood. Slowly, the darkness overwhelmed her just as Unohana knelt in front of her. The last thought she had was, _Why is she helping me when I'm supposed to die anyways?_

_

* * *

_

"Why do you go so far for others, Miyuki?" Byakuya asked Miyuki while they stood at the hidden pond they'd discovered many years prior. Miyuki was dressed in her shinigami garb with her long sleeved captains haori.

_"What do you mean, Byakuya?" She asked, looking over at him curiously._

_"You break laws and risk your lives to protect others. Why do you do that?" He inquired, frowning lightly._

_"It is the duty of a shinigami to protect others. It is the duty of a captain to protect the members of his or her division. I just go farther then others to do that." Miyuki answered calmly as she lightly touched the water with her fingertips, gently skimming it with them._

_"Why?" Byakuya demanded, and Miyuki sighed, watching her hand lightly dance across the water._

_"Well, Byakuya... I don't believe that someone who murdered a man that was brutally beating up their child deserves to die for it. However, Central 46 would sentence them to death without a second though... This world has become too cold, Byakuya. It needs compassion, and I'm giving it that. Besides, everyone deserves a chance to live, right?" Miyuki said, looking up at Byakuya with a gentle smile._

_"What about you? Don't you deserve the same?" Byakuya countered but Miyuki's smile never faltered._

_"Of course I do. I'm giving up that chance so others can have theirs." Miyuki said with an almost loving smile. "Everyone in my divsion became my family the moment I became their captain. I protect my family, Byakuya, so long as they deserve it... Except for my baby sister." She added with a wide grin. "I don't care what she does, I'd die to protect her. After all, that's what big sisters are for, right?" She grinned brightly and Byakuya looked at her with soft eyes. He'd always admired her for being so selfless._

Miyuki was jolted from her dreams by an excruciating pain lancing through her body. She let out an involuntary moan of pain as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly against it. "Don't move, Miyuki." Byakuya's voice sounded somewhere to her right, and she felt his hand grasp her own. Miyuki shivered at his touch and at the pain in her body and finally managed to open to her eyes enough to see Byakuya sitting there. He was wearing his usual captains garb with the scarf.

"What... happened..." Miyuki gasped out, her voice tight and her breathing heavy at the pain. Byakuya looked somewhere past Miyuki, his face stern and cold.

"She needs medicine, Unohana-taicho." He said, and Miyuki heard some movement.

"What happened...?" Miyuki asked again, this time her tone sharper. Byakuya moved his eyes to meet hers, and she was stunned to see pain in them.

"His name was Daiki. He... cut your arm off, Miyuki. He mocked us for falling for his trap and we realized you were innocent all along. Before we could kill him, he... He damaged your arm using Kido and fled. We don't even know how he got away. He seemed to just dissapear."

"Why... did you... save me...?" Miyuki asked, her voice breaking with pain and sorrow.

"What are you talking about?" Byakuya asked, frowning slightly. "You are innocent. Why would we allow you to die?"

"Wanted to... see Amaya... again." Miyuki squeezed her eyes shut, grinding her teeth against the excruciating pain in her body. _Damaged the arm... So then I'm going to be only using one arm forever?_ She realized sadly as a numbing sensation slowly started to come over her. She opened her eyes, her body relaxing as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Is the pain gone?" Unohana asked, and Miyuki refused to look to the left where she was, afraid to look at what was left of her arm.

"Yes, thank you." Miyuki said softly.

"You are very welcome, Miyuki... I will check in on you in an hour." Unohana said before Miyuki heard her leave. She turned to look at Byakuya sadly.

"How bad is it?" She asked shakily, terrified of what he would say. Byakuya didn't need her to elaborate, but he sighed and held her hand, his expression blank and stoic.

"It was severed at the shoulder... The damage was bad enough that despite Unohana's attempts to save it, you'll lose some function in it..." He said, his voice soft for once. Miyuki let out a strange choking sound that turned into a broken sob. She swallowed, holding back any more sobs.

"Where is Mirarame? Please tell me they didn't destroy her..." She said with a trembling voice.

"They didn't." Byakuya said before he reached behind him with his free hand and grabbed her Zanpakuto. She pulled her hand from his grasp and took the sword by its sheathe, exhaling in relief with it safely in her hands. Byakuya fell silent as she closed her eyes and began to communicate with her sword. _Mirarame?_

_What the hell is the matter with you, woman? First you use my full power for something totally useless now, then you get captured, then you let them take me away from you, THEN you get all beat to hell, and now you're whining about it? Stop being such a wuss!_ Mirarame scolded her rudely, and Miyuki smiled very slightly.

_I'm sorry, Mirarame..._

_You better be! Besides, you don't have any reason to be so damn depressed. Sure, you got your ass kicked and was about two seconds from death, and yeah you got your arm cut off and almost lost it forever, but at least it wasn't the arm you actually USE. Shit, woman. You barely used your left arm for anything... You weild a one-handed sword and you use for right hand for just about everything. It isn't like you're going to lose balance without it, cause you actually need balance in the FIRST PLACE for that to happen!_ Mirarame complained loudly, and Miyuki was all out smiling now. Her sword was rude and insulting, but it made Miyuki laugh to no end.

_Besides! Think about all the crazy ass stories we can come up with to scare children!_ Mirarame shouted excitedly. _I mean come on! In the human world, we can totally pull shit out of our asses. We could say we went to Africa and got into an awesome wrestling match with a TIGER! Or maybe we went surfing and we got attacked by a shark! Oooh! We'll say that we got caught in a tornado and it took our arm off! Let's use that one, I like it!_ Mirarame said excitedly while Miyuki was laughing softly.

"Byakuya..." Miyuki said, gaining the noble's attention. _Sorry, Mirarame. You cheered me up, but I have to talk to him._

_Don't worry. Just don't get too sappy._ She teased as Miyuki handed her to Byakuya, who set her against the wall once more. "What happens to me now?"

"You have two choices." Yamamoto said as he strode into the room before Byakuya could say anything. Both of them bowed their heads as best as they could to Yamamoto. "Either you return to the Human World, or you remain here. If you remain here, you will be made the Head of the Maruyama Clan, as well as offered your place in the Gotei 13 as the Captain of the 9th Division." Miyuki's eyes widened. "If you go to the Human World, you would be welcomed back at any time, as well as given a sufficient amount of money to start your life there."

"...Why...?" Miyuki asked warily, keeping her eyes as far away from her left side as possible.

"You did no crime, yet we were seconds away from punishing you with death. It is compensation." Yamamoto answered gruffly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. _If I accept, I'll be under his orders. His ruthless orders... If I leave, then I'd be unable to help anyone anylonger..._ Miyuki frowned wearily.

"...I accept your offer. The 9th Division needs a captain, and I won't leave my family in ruins because of _your_ mistakes."Miyuki said, emphasizing 'your' to make sure her point got across.

"Very well. As soon as you are healed, you will be named the new Captain of the 9th Division." Yamamoto said gruffly. "I'll have your new haori made immediatly."

"Oh, Soutaicho-sama? Might I request the inside of the haori be made a dark blue instead of tan? Brown is a horrible color on me." She said with a light smile, and Yamamoto nodded curtly before leaving the room. Miyuki waited until he was long gone to look at Byakuya with surprise evident on her face. "Where did that come from?"

"The Hime paid him a visit after your boffed execution." Byakuya said, amusement evident in his eyes. It warmed Miyuki's heart to see him showing her emotion, all at the same time causing her pain from her love for him.

"I see... I became friends with her during my time there, since I was the person who guarded her." Miyuki said with a small grin.

* * *

"Uhg..." Miyuki groaned in pain as she rolled out of bed, throwing her legs over the side of the matress and sitting like that. She winced, gently touching the bandages around her shoulder without getting too close to the wound. Unohana had healed the flesh, but it still hurt her. She felt sorrow tear through her as she tried to put her hand on the bed only to be cruedly reminded of her injuries by the sharp pain shooting through her body. _Damn this life..._ She thought angrily as she stood up, her light blue sleeping robe falling around her body. "Mamiko!" Miyuki called, and a moment later a woman with blonde hair and green eyes entered the room, dressed in a white kimono.

Silently, she assisted Miyuki in dressing in her shinigami robes and new captains haori. "Thanks, Mamiko. You're a godsend." Miyuki said, smiling at the woman.

"No, Miyuki-sama. You are." Mamiko said with a smile, remembing how Miyuki had protected her son from going to prison after he killed his father for beating her. She bowed quickly and left, and Miyuki fumbled with the sling that was holding her left arm until it healed completely.

"I can't believe this... Why did I agree to this position?" Miyuki asked herself, letting out an irritable groan before she made her way quickly towards her new squad barracks. She sighed as she walked into it twenty minutes later, realizing that she would have to give a speech. _Damn it. I hate speeches. Damn speeches._ She grumbled in her mind as she irritably entered the hall that every member of her squad was sitting in, waiting for her. She ignored the stares, not even acknowledging anyone until she got up onto the slightly raised platform, stepping into place beside Hisagi, who she greeted with a curt nod.

She turned to face the crowd, who was silently waiting for her to speak. "I hate speeches." She said simply, her voice like ice as she spoke with coldness that reflected her irritability. "So, I'm going to cut right to the chase. My name is Maruyama Miyuki. Ex-Captain of the 10th Division, Ex-criminal of a crime I never commited. I am also the current Head of the Maruyama Family, and the current Captain of the 9th Division. Of _this_ division." Miyuki said, her voice hard with seriousness that demanded respect from everyone. "While I am what you would call a benevolent Captain, you would do well to remember that I am _your_ Captain."

"As your Captain, I will always go the extra mile. I am your leader, and you are my subordinates... As your leader, it is my duty to protect you, which I have every intention of doing. I'm sure all of you know that for the past two years I've been hunted by Soul Society for the death of my father and sister... I did not do that crime, and I have been proven innocent. I won't lie to you, as that would be unfair to you all as I want you to trust me... I'm going to use my power as the Captain of the 9th Division to find their true killer. While my father deserved a death far worse then he was given, my sister was innocent and did not deserve to die. We will track and we will find her killer, and he will be severely and rightfully punished for his crimes."

"The man we seek is an ex-servant of mine. His Zanpakuto is named Shibire-kan... Until very recently, I never knew what his power was. If you are cut by the blade, a numbing sensation will spread throughout your body. As someone who has experienced it's ability, I can tell you now it's a very dangerous sword. The blow I took was severe, and I am uncertain if that means the effect was more severe, or if any blow will cause the same effect. All I know is that it rendered me deaf to anything but the sound of my own heartbeat, I couldn't speak, and I could feel nothing. I also couldn't move, however I had my sight. Not only that, but somehow he was able to speak with me through his mind."

"His name is Daiki, his last name unknown, as is what dimension he hides in. As the 9th Division handles all the investigations, we will be looking into everything about this man and finding his location. Third through Sixth seat will work alongside me and Hisagi-fukutaicho should we discoved any leads. Until then, everyone pair up with the person you work best with and scout Soul Society for clues about Daiki's whereabouts. Report to either Hisagi-fukutaicho or myself every evening. If anything of importance is discovered, do not hesitate to come straight to me, no matter the hour. I don't sleep often anyways, so don't worry about waking me."

"Again, I am your Captain. I will guide and protect you, and in turn, you must follow me. Also, don't even begin to think I'm always like this. I'm sure you've all heard stories of my antics... I merely don't find having my arm cut off after being a split second from dying for a crime I didn't commit to be a very amusing occurance, so pardon me if I'm a little _grumpy_ for a few days. ..Damn, looks like I gave a speech anyways. Dismissed!" Miyuki said, raising her voice so authority filled her tone. Immediatly, everyone scurried out of the hall, and Miyuki turned her head to look at Hisagi, eying him.

"I can imagine it will be pleasant to work with you." Hisagi said, and Miyuki smiled weakly at him.

"Oh, don't worry. It will be. Just ask Rangiku, she has many stories about the mischief I used to get her into." Miyuki said in a slightly wistful tone. "Hisagi-fukutaicho, how close are you to achieving Bankai?"

"I can materialize my Zanpakuto, though I don't exactly enjoy doing so..." Hisagi admitted, looking at Miyuki with a frown.

"Good. I'm going to be training you to reach Bankai." Miyuki said, turning around and beginning to walk towards the closed training grounds she knew the 9th Division held. "You coming?" She asked curiously, looking over her injured shoulder at Hisagi.

_

* * *

_

"Arg! What the hell!" A teenage Byakuya screamed in anger, and Miyuki frowned at him.

_"What is wrong with you?" She asked, confused and slightly annoyed with his sudden outburst in the middle of training._

_"All my attacks are pink. __**Pink!**__" Byakuya shouted, seeming furious as Miyuki burst out laughing at his words. "What's so funny!"_

_"Byakuya, why are you so angry?" Miyuki laughed, grinning mischeviously at him. "Now you can disctract your enemies with sparkly pink before you kill them!" She said, falling into another fit of laughter._

_"Oi! Silence!" Byakuya shouted, pointing his swords at Miyuki threateningly, but she only continued laughing. "This is so not funny. Why did I get the damn sparkly pink sword? I want a better one!" He growled, stabbing his blade into the ground._

_"Oh, Byakuya... Calm down, would you? It isn't your swords fault." Miyuki sobered up, smiling calmly at him._

_"Yes it is. I assure you, it isn't _my_ fault my Zanpakuto is pink and girly." Byakuya growled, and Miyuki smiled at him._

_"At least you know how to use yours." A stern voice cut in before Miyuki could speak, and both teenagers turned their heads to see a tall woman walking elegantly into the training grounds. She had rich, flowing, ebony hair that reached her lower back, and held a sword with a gray hilt with black diamond shapes wrapped into it. Miyuki lowered her eyes shamefully._

_"It still won't speak to me, Kagayaki-sensei..." Miyuki admitted sadly._

_"It will when it's time for it to." Kagayaki said calmly, looking at Miyuki. "Stop pouting like a child, Miyuki. You're almost an adult, and almost a Shinigami. You have no buisness with sorrow when you should be rejoicing." Kagayaki scolded harshly, and Miyuki snapped her head up to look at her sensei seriously._

_"Sorry, Sensei." Miyuki said, and Kagayaki noddedly, giving the two teenagers a look. Immediatly, Byakuya tugged his sword out of the ground and Miyuki drew her nameless one. All three of them poised for action, and at the same moment, they called called upon their shikai's._

_"Scatter, Senbonzakura." Byakuya growled, still irritated with his Zanpakuto's powers._

_"Rain, Tsuki Mizuumi." Miyuki called with a bright, happy smile._

_"Blind, Mirarame."_

* * *

**Uh oh. Twistie! Kagayaki is Miyuki's sensei and took over Byakuya's training as well after Yoruichi was exiled. But, who is this 'Tsuki Mizuumi' Zanpakuto Miyuki has, and why does Kagayaki have Mirarame! Sadly, it won't be revealed until the Epilogue. Sorry :( But don't worry, the Epilogue is right after the next chapter! ^^**

**Review, please!**


	10. Chapter 9

**And here it is, people... The last chapter. Read and Review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Honestly, I don't. :(**

* * *

"Maruyama-taicho! Maruyama-taicho!" The urgent voice of Miyuki's 5th seat, Hosaka Arisa, roused the tired captain from her sleep. "Maruyama-taicho!" Arisa repeated urgently, and Miyuki bolted upright in alarm, only to smack her head into the back of her bed post.

"Ow!" Miyuki shouted out her pain, causing her bluish purple haired 5th seat to jump back in alarm. "What's wrong?" Miyuki asked in a voice laced with pain as she tossed the sheets off her robed body, rubbing her injured head. Three months had passed since Miyuki became Captain, and she slept in the official Captain's quarters most of the time due to her position demanding it. Especially with the Daiki situation. All the Divisions were sending squads out regularly to help the 9th Division keep the area clear. Everyone was unnerved by the fact that Daiki was able to enter and leave Seireitei without a trace.

"The 6th Division's patrol was ambushed. They are fending off the attacks. I came here to get you immediatly for reinforcements." Arisa said quickly, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes dangerously. _If they immediatly came to the Captain instead of the lieutenant..._

"Kuchiki-taicho was part of the squad, wasn't he?" Miyuki asked as she grabbed her Zanpakuto, quickly rolling up the sleeve of her light blue sleeping kimono and strapping the sheath to her left forearm with her teeth and right hand.

"Yes, he was. Are you going to give reinforcements?" Arisa asked worriedly, and Miyuki nodded as she tied the last knot. Ever since she learned her Zanpakuto's name, she almost always kept it in a shikai. When she slept, she kept it out of sight so no one saw the real form. Once she woke, it automatically entered shikai without her needing to call it. The only reason she was able to do that is because of how unique her Zanpakuto was. She could keep it in constant shikai form without using too much energy, because she didn't keep it in a state that allowed her to access it's abilities. Basically, it was only in its shikai image, not in the full shikai state.

"Of course. Come on, you're joining me." Miyuki instructed, walking out of the room barefoot and in a light sleeping robe.

"You're going as you're dressed?" Arisa squeaked in dismay as she and Miyuki headed towards the building exit.

"Of course I am. It would be absurd to waste precious time making myself decent when one, my outfit will probably be ruined by battle anyways, and two, people need us now. Let's go." Miyuki said as they walked out of the building, immediatly rushing off using Shunpo. "What is their location?"

"South of Hokutan, the third district of West Rukongai. Just east of Mount Koifushi."

* * *

A woman with short, wild, dark green hair and amber eyes watched from afar as the Shinigami battled. The woman's eyes were sharp, the pupils slitted, and her nails were golden claws. Her breasts and privates were covered by armor made of dark green scales. Covering the tops of her forearms and her shins, from ankle to knee and from elbow to wrist, was also dark green scale armor. Small shoulder pads made of the same dark green scales sat on her shoulders, and a black band holding three golden claws hung from her neck. The most noticable thing, however... Was the large dark green scaled tail that she had, golden spikes running down the spine of it.

"Anba..." The woman said in a thoughtful tone, and the boy beside her sat up, alert. He had long amber hair, amber eyes, and wore a yellow chinese styled outfit that had gold colored lining. He had a beautiful tail that looked exactly like his hair, only more spread out. The tips of the hairs from his tail curled to reach the back of his feet, and he too had golden claws.

"Yeah, Tsume?" The young boy asked curiously.

"Observe." Tsume instructed, her draconic tail twitching lightly as two women suddenly entered the battle, one of them dressed in a light sleeping robe. The robe was light blue with pink cherryblossoms scattering the bottom right corner of it.

"She's barefoot, Tsume." Anba noted with a frown.

"I noticed." Tsume growled dryly, and Anba ducked his head sadly. "Her blade..."

"Eh?" Anba glanced up to see the woman held a short blade, and all the attackers had frozen and started screaming in agony though there was nothing there. The Captain they had been previously observing released his shikai once more, shreding the paralyzed screaming offenders easily. "Tsume!" Anba chirped excitedly, all past sadness forgotten.

"See? This is why we need to observe. We could have easily missed that important bit of detail if we hadn't been, understood?" Tsume questioned sternly, never once taking her amber eyes off the scene.

"Hai, Tsume. Sorry..." Anba bowed his head in sadness as he watched the shinigami.

"This is wonderful. Now we know who we're to 'kill'." Tsume said with a pleased smile.

"Why do we even obey him? I, a child, could take him out..." Anba asked nervously, and Tsume scowled slightly.

"Because it needs to be done if we are to achieve our own goals. Besides, we're going to kill him before he can get what he wants, and then we'll take it all for ourselves." Tsume explained with a light growl before she calmed down.

"Who's gonna get the sword?" Anba asked innocently.

"We are... If we can get to it before anyone else does." Tsume said with a thoughtful expression. "The sword will choose who ever touches it first to be it's master. All we have to do is touch it first, and we will be able to harness its power. We will end the war going on in our home, and we'll seize control. It's a good thing I'm here. I'm probably the only one who's immune to her blade..."

"Are you going to wield it?" Anba asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Yes. Most likely... Come, Anba." Tsume stood up as the shinigami left, and Anba popped upright beside her.

"Where are we going, Tsume?" Anba asked curiously.

"To kill a group from the 9th Division." Tsume said with a sinister smile, short fangs showing as she did.

"Okay, Tsume." Anba chirped cheerfully, following after the woman as she began to leave.

* * *

"Thank you for your assistance." Byakuya said stoicly as he walked beside the barefoot Miyuki. He observed her carefully, somewhat unnerved by her behavior previously. She had entered the battle and immediatly the enemies began screaming in agony at whatever illusion she had made them see, especially the ones that had been attacking him specifically. She hadn't stopped until Byakuya used his own attacks to kill them.

"You're welcome." Miyuki said before yawning widely. "My 5th Seat woke me up. Like I haven't lost enough sleep due to this Daiki situation... Speaking of strange anomolies, what were those creatures that attacked you?" MIyuki asked all of a sudden, looking at Byakuya curiously. Her long dark purple hair was braided over her shoulder, as it got too tangled when she slept with it unbraided.

"I am uncertain. They seemed neither hollow nor citizen of Rukongai, however they weren't humans."

"...Strange..." Miyuki mused with a frown.

"Indeed. The Soutaicho will certainly have Kurotsuchi looking into it." Byakuya said, ignoring the look of disgust that formed on Miyuki's face at his name.

"Well, whatever they are, they're dangerous... I worry for my Division." Miyuki said, suddenly looking anxious.

"Don't. They are skilled in the investigation department." Byakuya said before narrowing his eyes. "You've been shaking for many months, Miyuki."

"Tch... Figures you'd notice it." Miyuki grumbled under her breath.

"You've been doing so since you were brought back to Soul Society... How many?" Byakuya asked, his voice blank as they entered her office, which was empty due to the time of night. Miyuki sighed, walking over to her desk and sitting on top of it.

"Only one more." Miyuki said calmly as she pulled her sheathed sword from her forearm, looking at it with a frown.

"I see... You ought to switch back to your true Zanpakuto." Byakuya warned, narrowing his eyes further.

"I won't abandon Mirarame, Byakuya." Miyuki growled, and Byakuya glared at her.

"Then carry them both." He growled back.

"Oh yeah, because that won't be hard to explain at _all._" She snapped sarcastically.

"So you're rather die then carry two swords?" Byakuya countered, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes.

"Of course not." Miyuki sighed, forcing herself to relax. "Almost no one has ever seen the hilt of Mirarame... I suppose I could keep Mirarame in her usual place, out of sight, and pretend that Tsuki Mizuumi is Mirarame..." Miyuki let out another heavy sigh. "Tsuki Mizuumi won't be happy about that part, but it will be thrilled to no longer be held secret. I suppose it's a good thing that those who achieved Bankai do not have to call out their shikai's, hm? Otherwise I'd have to call Tsuki Mizuumi by it's name. I suppose I can just convince everyone that Tsuki Mizuumi's shikai is just an illusion or something... I'll invent some story to explain it." Miyuki shrugged nonchalantly.

* * *

"There!" Anba chirped excitedly as he pointed at two Shinigami.

"They both have sleeveless uniforms... They are the 9th Division for sure." Tsume noted, giving Anba an approving nod.

"Yay! Are we going to kill them?" Anba asked curiously, and Tsume shook her head.

"No... We're only going to knock them out. We just won't be very gentle about it." Tsume said, and Anba nodded in understanding.

"Gotcha!" He chirped before they both jumped in front of the Shinigami, Tsume's long draconic tail sweeping at them.

* * *

"What did you use your Bankai for the last time?" Byakuya asked icily, and Miyuki rubbed her shoulder.

"Well, I used my Bankai right before I was captured. I used it so that when I die, Daiki will be exposed. But then he went and exposed himself right before I died, ruining it." Miyuki huffed.

"Why didn't you use it to expose him before your death?"

"Because, smart one." Miyuki began irritably. "If I did that, no one would believe the evidence and would think it was faked by my Bankai. If I was dead, they'd have no reason to doubt it, cause if it was false I'd have tried to use it to get out of trouble _before_ my death." Miyuki explained in a tone that was slightly mocking at him for not realizing it in the first place.

"Maruyama-taicho!" A voice called. "Third Seat Narita Haruki requesting audience!" The voice called from just outside the door. Miyuki let out a groan of irritation.

"Enter!" She barked the order, and the man walked into the room. "Go ahead and get some sleep, Byakuya. I need to tend to my division, it seems." She said with a sigh, and Byakuya gave her a curt nod goodnight before shunpoing off. "What is it, Narita?" Miyuki questioned, calling the man by his last name.

"Suzuki Isamu, Sixth Seat, and Watanabe Hiroshi, Fourth Seat, were attacked on patrol. We lost contact a few minutes ago." Haruki said worriedly, and Miyuki immediatly jumped off her desk and to her feet.

"What!" She exclaimed, and Haruki bowed his head. "Get Shuuhei and Hosaka and meet me in my quarters. Tell them to be prepared for battle, we're going after them." Miyuki ordered, and Haruki nodded, immediatly running to retrieve the Fifth Seat and Lieutenant. Miyuki ran quickly to her quarters, immediatly grabbing a sword with a dark blue sheathe and a light blue handle. She slid the katana-length Zanpakuto into place at her hip, using her sash to hold it there. She was still wearing the light blue sleeping robe that had pink cherry blossoms on the bottom right side of it. She took out a small peice of paper and a quill, quickly scribbling onto the paper as she knew she didn't have much time until her lieutenant, Fifth Seat, and Third Seat arrived.

A few minutes later, she had finished writing, and reached behind her neck. She hesitated for several seconds before she undid the clip holding the amethyst butterfly choker around her neck. Pulling it away, she set it on top of the now folded peice of paper. "Maruyama-taicho." Hisagi announced his arrival, and Miyuki walked out of the room to greet him and her Fifth and Third seat.

"Just recently we lost contact with Suzuki Isamu and Watanabe Hiroshi. They were patrolling the area east of the sixth district of North Rukongai. We're going to them immediatly. I hope everyone came here prepared, because there's no time to waste." Miyuki said as she walked past the three people of her division, still wearing a sleeping robe and barefoot.

* * *

They arrived swiftly. With equal swiftness, Hosaka Arisa and Narita Haruki were defeated, leaving a battered Hisagi and Miyuki to fight the offenders. "Damn it!" Miyuki snarled as she jumped away from the draconic tail that was swung at her. "Hisagi-fukutaicho!" Miyuki shouted to her lieutenant, who immediatly knew what she was silently asking.

"I'm mostly uninjured, Taicho." He reported as he jumped away from the golden boy he was fighting.

"What the hell are you people?" Miyuki demanded as she crouched down, bleeding from a three holes in her gut. The tail had hit her in the abdomen, and three of the gold spikes on it had impaled her before she escaped.

"All in good time." The woman said with a fanged smile, and Miyuki narrowed her eyes. With near invisible speed, she sheathed Mirarame, who's illusions were having no effect on the offender, and drew Tsuki Mizuumi. She silently called out her Shikai, and the blade was covered by a dark blue glow.

"Hisagi! Get out of here!" Miyuki shouted, dropping the honorifics as she raised her sword. "Kuraito Shuraudo!" She growled, and suddenly the entire forest was shrouded by a dark mist. Miyuki easily navigated through the blinding mist, as it was her own creation, and jumped behind the woman, striking at her back. The woman leaped away, but not before the blade sliced through her shoulder.

"Tsume!" Hisagi's attacker called worriedly as he heard the womans pained snarl.

"Dekishi daatsu!" Miyuki called as she swung her blade, hundreds of small water needles flying from it. The woman, Tsume, jumped into the air, dark green draconic wings springing from her back. _Shit._ Miyuki thought as the woman avoided the attack and beat her wings, the mist clearing slightly. Miyuki was somewhat happy to see Hisagi had indeed fled the area at Miyuki's command, but the strange boy had gone as well.

"Simple tricks like that won't work on me." Tsume said as she looked down at Miyuki, barely seeing her through the dark mist that covered the area.

"Silence yourself before I do it for you." Miyuki growled. "Daakusutorimu!" She snarled, pointing her blade at the dragon-like woman. A massive stream of black water shot from the blade, flying at the woman at magnificent speed. It hit the startled woman directly in the chest, sending her flying upwards. Miyuki leapt into the air after her, the black mist below them dissapearing as Miyuki left it. "Dekishi Daatsu!" Miyuki spat, hundreds of small water needles shooting through the air at the falling Tsume. They struck her head on as well, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Miyuki dove after her, her sword poised to impale Tsume. The woman slammed into the ground, laying on her back, and Miyuki was a few feet above her, her blade pointed at Tsume's chest. Just before it hit, Tsume raised the draconic tail... and instead, Miyuki was the one impaled. The tail had gone straight through her abdomen, and Miyuki hung there with her eyes wide. "You lose." Tsume hissed before she flicked her tail, tossing Miyuki from it. Miyuki slammed into a tree before she tumbled to the ground, laying unmoving on her chest as she was in shock from the large gaping hole in her body.

Tsume slowly stood, walking calmly to the woman, who's body was trembling terribly from the fatal wound. "Tell me, little Shinigami... How does it feel to be mere seconds from death...?" Tsume inquired as she crouched beside Miyuki, who was hardly breathing. "I can't imagine it feels good. I'm curious, though, because soon I'll be using your lovely Zanpakuto to make all my enemies experience what you are now..." Tsume purred, her words echoing through Miyuki's mind. _Use my Zanpakuto..? They..._ Her eyes widened slightly as realization hit her. _They are after Mirarame. They know... Damn... What do I do? If I die, they'll have Mirarame... If I use Bankai to save myself, they'll still have her... Shit... Shit... Shit!_ Miyuki thought in a panic, the rush of pain as shock left her causing her mind to fuzz.

_What do I do? I don't know what to do!_ She thought in anguish. Either she subjected Mirarame to obeying their wishes, or she herself would be. Either way, they would win. _Oh god... I'll never see anyone again... I'm really going to die, aren't I? It's really over, isn't it?_ Miyuki thought, her mind clouded by pain. _Why... Why does this hurt so much? Why can't I see him again...? Someone... help me..._ She pleaded desperately in her mind. _I don't want to die. Why do I have to die? Please... Help!_ She wailed in her mind.

_Calm down, Miyuki. Think. Think, Miyuki!_ Mirarame commanded in her mind, and Miyuki tensed. She felt her life slipping at a terrifying rate. _Calm the hell down, Miyuki. Think... You're going to die. If you use Bankai, you'll be sealed and I'll be free. They'll have my power either way, Miyuki... So how can we use Bankai to prevent that?_

_We can't... We can't, Mirarame. You know that!_ Miyuki cried in her mind.

_Yes, we can. Think! How can we?_ Mirarame demanded.

_I don't know! Please, help me, Kagayaki-sensei!_ Miyuki wailed desperately.

_...I can't, Miyuki. You have to find the answer yourself. You know that I can't give it to you._ Mirarame said softly in a regret and sorrow filled tone. _Do you want to see Byakuya again?_

_Of course I do._ Miyuki instantly replied.

_Even if you could only do it in spirit?_ Mirarame questioned, and Miyuki mentally nodded. _Then you know what to do._

_...Yes..._ Miyuki whispered in her mind. _They'll get our power either way... I know what to do._ Miyuki decided, drawing Mirarame from her forearm. Both arms were pinned under her dying body, so she managed to do it completely unnoticed. "Bankai... Kagayaki." Miyuki breathed out. The last breath she'd ever breath, and like hell was she going to let it go to waste. In a flash of light, Miyuki's body faded and light spirit particles floated into the sky. A soul to be reincarnated in many, many hundreds of years. Tsume grinned in success as she approached the two swords laying on the ground where Miyuki's body had been, nothing else but blood left behind.

"Too bad, little Shinigami. You lose." Tsume said with a smile as she grasped the Zanpakuto that had a crimson sheathe. She turned around, leaving the sword with a dark blue sheathe alone. "Did you kill him?" Tsume asked as Anba approached her.

"Nuh-uh." He said with a childish tone. "Right after you got her, he grabbed the two unconcious people and got away." He pouted sadly.

"Don't worry, Anba... We have what we wanted. Now we just need to kill that Daiki asshole who thought he could use us." Tsume said, baring her teeth at the thought of the man.

"We kind of owe him though, don't we? He let us enter this dimension..." Anba said hesitantly.

"That doesn't matter. Us not killing him earlier already makes us out of his debt. We will kill him, and then we will end the war. Come, Anba." Tsume growled as she opened a black swirling portal. She walked through it without blinking an eye. Anba looked at the large puddle of blood with the sword laying in it before sighing and following the woman.

* * *

Byakuya was calmly sitting in the Kuchiki gardens, watching the cherry blossom trees as they began preparing to bloom, the sun rising in the distance. "Kuchiki-taicho." A very tired, bloodied, and sorrowful Hisagi said as he walked towards Byakuya, bowing respectfully. Immediatly, he had Byakuya's full attention, and Byakuya was very alert.

"What happened to you?" He asked coldly, though he was actually very concerned as he knew Hisagi had gone with Miyuki on a patrol.

"The Soutaicho-dono asked me to tell you in person... and to tell you that you are excused from attending the captains meeting if you so choose while he informs them what happened..." Hisagi said hesitantly as he straightened up, wincing slightly at his wounds. "A patrol was attacked, and four of us, Maruyama-taicho, our third and fifth seat, and myself all went to assist them... When we arrived, the third and fifth seat were almost immediatly taken down. Maruyama-taicho and I held off the attackers for as long as we could, but she took severe damage."

"...Hisagi-fukutaicho, explain to me in detail what occured." Byakuya ordered after a tense moment, interrupted the lieutenant.

"Hai..." Hisagi tiredly agreed. "The enemy was a woman who had some kind of... well, skimpy armor made of green scales. She also had a large, dragon like, dark green tail that had yellow spikes down the spine of it... No matter how hard Maruyama-taicho fought her, she seemed uneffected by all attacks. She managed to hit her with the spikes on her tail, and impaled her in three places of her chest with them. Despite that, she continued to fight. She drew a second Zanpakuto," Hisagi said this with some confusion, as he had never know she had two of them. "and began fighting with it. She forced me to leave the area, but my own enemy pursued."

"I was far enough away that I couldn't see what was going on, and Taicho had covered the area in a black fog. She had used some attack to force the enemy into the air and it looked like she was winning. The fog dissapeared as she knocked the enemy into the ground, and she went in for the kill shot..." Hisagi paused, wincing at his wounds, or perhaps at his memories, while Byakuya remained utterly silent. "The enemy raised the strange tail at the last second and... impaled Maruyama-taicho with it. At that point I knew that I couldn't win, but I stayed for as long as I could."

"She used Bankai despite being so close to death, but it must have failed because she died less then a second later... The only thing that was left were her Zanpakuto's. I knew that I wouldn't survive if I kept fighting, so I grabbed my unconcious comrades and got them to safety. Once I was sure they were gone, I went back and retrieved this..." Hisagi said, pulling a long sword out from behind him. The sword had a dark blue sheathe with a light blue hilt. _Tsuki Mizuumi..._ Byakuya thought as he took the sword from Hisagi, being quick with his actions so he wouldn't notice that despite his uncaring expression, his hand was shaking very slightly with emotion. Hisagi noticed despite this, but stayed silent.

"The other Zanpakuto was gone..." Hisagi said in a pained and regretful voice. "There's more... This was found in Maruyama-taicho's quarters. It was addressed to you, so no one touched it." He said, handing Byakuya a sheet of paper, the very familiar amethyst butterfly choker held inbetween the folds.

"...I see... Tell the Soutaicho I will not be attending the meeting, and that I will seek him out at a later date." Byakuya said as he stood up, walking away from Hisagi with a stoic expression. He entered his quarters, which were only about a minute away from the gardens, and sat on the white sofa, setting the spiritless Zanpakuto beside him as he opened the paper. He took the choker out of the folds and set it beside the sword, carefully reading the elegant script.

_'Dear Byakuya,_

_If you're reading this, I assume I've died. I wrote this while I awaited for my comrades to arrive. As much as I want this letter to be about my feelings, there is something you must know, and I haven't much time to write this. Two and a half years ago when I was attacked in your gardens, I discovered something of great importance. Daiki is not working alone. During his time with the Royal Guard, he discovered the same thing I did two and a half years ago... There is a way for Shinigami to enter the realm of the damned, allowing them to enter ours as well so long as the way is open..._

_Tonight, when I went to assist you, my fear became true. The demons entered Soul Society from Hell... That is what you were fighting. I also know who they are after, which is why I wrote this letter to you... They are after me and Mirarame. For the last seven hundred years, Hell has been caught in a civil war. Daiki likely made a deal with the demon leaders of Hell to allow them to enter Soul Society, so long as he was able to have me. It's probable that the demons are using him instead now that they know my Zanpakuto's power, and will likely kill him after they get what they want._

_Me. Once he's dead, the way to Soul Society will be lost, and Seireitei will be safe once more. Byakuya, I am almost certain that one of the demon lords is after me, and that they attacked a squad from my division to draw me out. They also probably only attacked your squad so that they could figure out my rank and division. Daiki must have informed them of my emotions towards you, Byakuya... I'm going to walk into the upcoming battle, and hopefully I'll walk out of it. However, if I don't... Either I'm dead, or I've been turned. I'm going to do everything I can to keep them away from my Zanpakuto, Byakuya._

_But if I cannot, please... What ever you do, don't give chase. It would be futile and suicide. I give you the very thing you once gave me. Keep it safe, and don't ever forget me, because I will never forget you. You are everything to me, Byakuya, and no matter what has happened, that never has and never will change. I regret that I was the only one to feel this way for you, but I accept it. I hope you find the right person for you once more, Byakuya, and I wish you a happy life with them. I love you, Byakuya. Don't forget me._

_- Maruyama Miyuki_

_P.S.- You should really smile sometime. You'll get all wrinkly, and then people won't want to sex you anymore."_

Byakuya smiled slightly at that last comment, as it reminded him of exactly what type of person Miyuki truely was. He folded the peice of paper and lifted the amethyst butterfly, turning it so he looked at the back of it. Carved into the back of the stone was the kanji for 'Maruyama' and 'Kuchiki'.

* * *

**There you have it. The ending. But don't worry, there's an Epilogue. Some of you might not agree with the 'shaky Byakuya' idea, but really, people. I think if I was just informed my friend since childhood died with an serving of giant-ass-hole-in-chest with a side of extra-excruciating-pain, I'd be pretty damn shaky. I'd probably cry my face off, pass out from shock, then wake up and cry my face off all over again! D:**

**Notes:**

**Tsuki Mizuumi: Moon Lake**

**Kuraito Shuraudo: Shroud with Dark**

**Dekishi Daatsu: Drowning Darts**

**Daakusutoriumi: Dark Stream**


	11. Epilogue

**Here's the Epilogue, my awesome readers! :D I'd originally planned on making a whole sequel, but I'm just not patient enough for that, nor do I have enough time. Summer school to get college credits SUCKS o.o I've been working my butt off non-stop lately... Though, I might eventually write the sequel after school is done if people want it, which I doubt they will. Anyways, here's the sequel, read and review my loves. ^^**

**Disclaimer: I've waited ten chapters to say this... For the last time, I don't own bleach! Q.Q**

* * *

Byakuya stood in front of a sword, staring at it intently. The sword was sitting on a elegant wood display stand, a beautiful amethyst butterfly hanging above it on the wall by it's short chain. The sword had a dark blue sheathe with a light blue hilt, and Byakuya's expression was almost sorrowful as he gazed at it. Thirty-two years had passed, and Byakuya still was somewhat effected by Miyuki's loss. He knew very well what Miyuki's fate was, but he never spoke a word to anyone. He attended her burial despite there being nothing to bury, and mourned for her inwardly.

He also was somewhat proud of her for her actions. She knew her fate was coming, but she refused to lay down and accept it. She fought to the very end with tooth and nail, despite knowing there was never any chance she would win against a demon lord. For three and a half months she trained Hisagi to achieve Bankai, and he managed to mere months after her death, replacing her as the Captain of the 9th Division. It became obvious at that point that she was well aware of her impending doom, and had made certain her Division would be prepared.

She fell honorably, and even the Hime herself attended her funeral. Of course, no one but Byakuya knew she was there, as she had attended disguised as an underling as per orders of her father. The only reason Byakuya knew was because she had spoken to him personally. Miyuki's younger brother became the Head of the Maruyama clan after her death. After thirty-two years, there was still no word as to Miyuki's exact fate. Had she died in that battle? Or had she just met the fate of everyone who held the Zanpakuto she did? Byakuya had a strange feeling he was about to find out.

He turned around, prepared to leave the room, when he halted in his tracks. A silent, unsensable creature shimmered into sight just in front of Byakuya. It was a large, jet black panther with crimson slitted eyes. It had crimson claws, and it's tail tip had a point that was like a blade's tip. There was no doubt in Byakuya's mind that this creature was a demon from hell, however his mind was focused on something completely different. The very familiar blade that was held in it's jaws, having a dark crimson sheathe and a black handle. The panther lowered it's head and set the blade down, pressing it's body to the ground in a respectful bow before it shimmered back out of existance.

Byakuya stared intently at the sword before him before he crouched down and grasped it. He blinked, and suddenly he was standing in a vast forest of cherry blossom trees, the trees in full bloom and the forest floor completely covered in fallen petals. Before he could react, two arms wrapped around his body in a loving gesture, pulling him against another body. "Miyuki..." Byakuya breathed out, and Miyuki pulled her arms away from him and smiled brightly at him.

"That's Mirarame to you, Byakuya." She corrected him teasingly. Her dark purple hair still reached her calves, and her eyes were deep blue. She was barefoot, wearing a small light blue robe with light pink cherry blossoms lining the bottom right side of it. Byakuya realized with a hint of regret that she was forever stuck looking exactly like she had when she died, only without the blood stains and injuries.

"I see... So you were drawn into the blade after all." He said softly, and Miyuki smiled.

"It was my choice. I wasn't going to lay back and die while my sensei was handed over as a tool for Hell." Miyuki said, her voice light and happy. Byakuya eyed her, realizing that she seemed happier then he'd ever seen her.

"What happened, Miyuki?" Byakuya asked, referring to her 'death'.

"Well... I'm sure you got all the details from Hisagi. The demon I was fighting, Tsume, gave me a lovely gaping hole in my abdomen and chest, so as you can imagine, I was dying pretty quickly. Naturally, I panicked. I couldn't bear the idea of dying alone, because it scared me. I also couldn't let Kagayaki-sensei to become the weapon of the enemy." Miyuki said, sighing. "We both know that Mirarame is a fickle Zanpakuto. Crap, I just insulted myself." Miyuki said with a twinkle in her eyes. "One can only use such a magnificent power for so long. After enough times, the Zanpakuto devours you and... Well, as you can see, the wielder becomes the soul of the Zanpakuto and the previous soul is released and finally allowed rest."

"I knew I could only use my Zanpakuto one more time. I knew I had one foot in the grave. I felt like I was walking around with half my soul..." She sighed softly at this. "I couldn't make a choice. Either way, the demons would have Mirarame's power. The option was, would it be Mirarame with Kagayaki-sensei's soul, or with my soul? I couldn't decide... The pain and panic clouded my mind, but at the last second I made my choice. I used Bankai for the last time, and freed Sensei, taking her place."

"I bet you're wondering what I used my Bankai for, aren't you?" She guessed, grinning proudly at herself.

"What did you use it for...?" Byakuya questioned calmly but with extreme interest.

"I wished for the blade's curse to end. I trapped myself here to make sure that no one else would ever be locked in this blade. After Mirarame's wielder dies, or replaced the previous soul, the first person to touch the blade is forced to become it's new wielder. I couldn't change that immediatly, so when Tsume, my killer, lifted me up I was stuck with her. After many years, she perfected my Bankai and used it only three times. The first was to end the civil war between the demons and the souls of Hell. The second was to make her and the two demons she protected become the three most powerful demons in Hell, allowing them to control the others and keep the peace lasting."

"The third was to free me from being forced to wielders instead of picking them myself like all the other Zanpakuto's can. That was at my request... Now I can choose whoever I want to wield me, and at Tsume's request, I broke the contract I was forced to have with her, and she had a demon bring me here. Here to you." Miyuki's voice softened at the end slightly, though it was filled with pride for her actions.

"I don't understand. Mirarame's power is to make illusions, and the Bankai ability is to make those illusions a reality... Yet everything you're describing sounds more like wishes then illusions. You can't make an illusion of being the strongest demons of Hell. That's a wish." Byakuya said, allowing his confusion to show in his voice.

"That's because Mirarame's power _isn't_ to make illusions. I never told you it was, if you recall. You simply assumed that's what it was because that's what Kagayaki-sensei always told us it's power was. I only lied to everyone _else_ in Seireitei." She said with an amused voice at the end. "I didn't even know myself that that wasn't it's power until after I fled to the Human World. In fact, Mirarame's power, or my power as the case may be, is to allow whoever I want to see, hear, taste, smell, or feel whatever I wish them to. My Bankai is to allow any wish I want to become true. Which makes being in my Inner World great fun, by the way." She said with a bright grin.

"Then... Have you bound yourself to me?" Byakuya concluded questioningly, and Miyuki nodded.

"I have. Otherwise you wouldn't be able to enter my world, would you?" She pointed out with a smile.

"Miyuki... Does that mean that you're permanently a Zanpakuto, now?" Byakuya asked in a grim tone, realizing that would mean that she'd never be allowed to rest, and would live for all eternity, watching every one of her wielders die, including himself.

"Yes, that does. Also, now with the curse of the blade broken, my power is limitless. Byakuya..." She stepped forward, taking his hands in her own with a gentle, loving smile. "I know what you're thinking... But don't you see what this means? It means that you could wish for anything in the world, and I will give it to you. Strength, power... Immortality. I could give you invincibility." Miyuki added with a smile, and Byakuya realized what she was saying. She wouldn't have to see him die if that was his wish. "Hell, Byakuya. I could bring Hisana back to life if you wanted, and you know what? I wouldn't care, because I want you to be happy."

She watched as his eyes widened. "However... Should I ever see the power I give you going to your head, I can just as easily strip it from you. It will take many years for you to grasp control of my powers fully. Bankai is at least twenty years out of your reach. And while the curse is gone, using my power will still cause you immense pain, just as it caused me." She said softly, still holding his hands. "Think of me as your own personal endless suply of awesomeness." She said with a wink. Byakuya stared intently at her. He was extremely proud of what she had done, willingly sacrificing herself to ensure safety to others.

She'd quite litterally gone through hell and back just to see him one more time. Now she was offering to give him everything and anything he ever wish for. Miyuki watched as the emotions swam in Byakuya's eyes until suddenly, his lips were against hers. She closed her eyes slowly, her heart feeling like it was going to burst with happiness. He loved her too.

**26 Years Later**

"Oi, wake up." An incessant poking on the side of his face roused Byakuya. He blinked his eyes open to see Miyuki laying in bed beside him, her finger stopped only an inch away from poking his face again.

"Why aren't you back in your Zanpakuto?" Byakuya asked immediatly, and Miyuki rolled her deep blue eyes at him.

"Cause you're the one who wished I could leave it whenever _I_ want, not whenever _you_ want me to." She answered with amusement. "Besides, I figured you'd want to get up around now, since you're about thirty minutes away from being late to the Captain's meeting." She said, laughing happily as Byakuya leapt from the bed and began getting dressed hurriedly. Miyuki leaned back on her elbows as Byakuya quickly threw clothes on his body. "Damn, here I was enjoying the sight of you half naked." She said with a pout, and Byakuya paused. He frowned, looking at her only to see her wiggle her outstretched toes playfully in his direction.

"Thirty minutes, you say?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I lied. You have about an hour and thirty minutes." She said with an innocent smile.

"Good." He said, causing both of Miyuki's eyebrows to shoot up. She let out a thrilled squeal as Byakuya suddenly launched himself at the bed, tackling Miyuki flat against it and kissing her heatedly.

* * *

**Okay, so what if Byakuya was a little out of character there? I though it was darn cute and made me smile IRL when I wrote it! xD Just imagine a half dressed Byakuya tackling you on the bed. Miyuki's one lucky fictional character. I really liked this ending, and I hope you all did as well. 3 you all, my amazing readers =)**


End file.
